Handbook requirements › Indiana

Employee handbook requirements in Indiana (2026)

A compliant Indiana employee handbook layers Indiana-specific policies on top of the federal baseline. Below are the 6 Indiana-specific requirements in our library, plus the federal baseline that also applies.

Standard state 6 Indiana-specific items 110 federal baseline items

Indiana-specific handbook requirements

Policies driven by Indiana state law that a handbook should address.

Indiana Physician Non-Compete Ban Confidentiality

Indiana enacted a ban on non-compete agreements for physicians employed by hospitals and health systems, effective July 1, 2025. Non-compete clauses in physician employment contracts with hospital-affiliated employers are void and unenforceable. Exception: physician non-competes in independent group practice settings (non-hospital-affiliated) may still be enforceable under general Indiana contract law.

Authority: IN Code § 22-5-3-9 (Indiana physician non-compete ban); IN SB 0001 (2025, eff. July 1, 2025); IN Dept of Health

Indiana School Activity Leave FMLA / Family Leave

Indiana provides job-protected leave for parents/guardians to attend school activities including parent-teacher conferences, IEP meetings, or other school-related activities. Available once per year per school year. Unpaid. Employee must give reasonable advance notice. Applies to employers of all sizes. Leave must be taken in reasonable increments; employers may set a cap on the hours used.

Authority: IN Code § 22-2-14 (Indiana School Activity Leave, eff. July 1, 2025); IN SB 0478 (2025); IN Dept of Workforce Development

Indiana Voting Leave — UNCERTAIN (Verify Before Use) Voting Leave

Indiana law gives employees the right to be absent from work for up to two hours to vote on election day. The leave is paid. The employee must apply for the time off before election day. The employer may specify when during the work period the leave is taken. The leave entitlement is reduced or eliminated if the employee has sufficient non-work time to vote before or after work. Applies to all IN employers.

Authority: Ind. Code Ann. § 3-11-4-14.5 (Indiana voting leave — employee right to 2 hours paid leave on election day; advance application required; employer designates timing)

Indiana Final Pay Timing Pay / Payroll

Indiana requires final wages to be paid by the next regular payday following separation, for both voluntary and involuntary separations. If an employee is discharged, the employer must pay all wages on the next regular payday. Indiana does not require same-day or 24-hour final pay. Accrued vacation is treated as wages if the employer's policy commits to payout. Willful nonpayment may subject the employer to liquidated damages equal to 8% of the unpaid wages per day, capped at twice the amount owed, plus attorney fees.

Authority: Ind. Code Ann. § 22-2-9-2 (Indiana Wage Payment Act — final pay timing; next regular payday for all separations); § 22-2-9-4 (penalty — liquidated damages 8% per day up to 2x the unpaid wages + attorney fees)

Indiana Jury Duty Leave Jury Duty Leave

Indiana law prohibits employers from terminating or threatening to terminate an employee for being summoned or serving on jury duty. The leave is unpaid unless the employer's policy provides otherwise. Employers may require employees to provide advance notice of jury duty and to return to work on days or portions of days when not required to serve. Indiana's anti-retaliation provision makes wrongful termination for jury duty a misdemeanor.

Authority: Ind. Code Ann. § 35-44.1-2-9 (Indiana jury duty — criminal penalty for employer retaliating against juror; misdemeanor); IC § 34-28-4-1 (civil remedy for wrongful discharge for jury service)

Indiana Volunteer Emergency Responder Leave Leave Policies

Indiana law protects employees who are volunteer firefighters, volunteer police officers, or volunteer emergency medical technicians from discharge or retaliation for leaving work to respond to an emergency during working hours. The leave is unpaid. The employer may require the employee to provide advance notice when practicable and evidence of the emergency response upon return. Applies to all IN employers.

Authority: Ind. Code Ann. § 36-8-12-11 (Indiana volunteer firefighter leave — anti-retaliation for volunteer emergency response during work hours)

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Federal requirements that also apply in Indiana

110 federal baseline policies span these areas — every Pacta handbook includes them.

Assignment / Placement Agreement · 10 DOT / FMCSA Compliance · 10 Arbitration Agreement · 8 Code of Conduct · 6 Benefits · 5 Confidentiality · 5 Offer Letter · 5 Employee Classification · 4 Pay / Payroll · 4 Safety / Workers' Comp · 4 Separation / Final Pay · 4 Introduction / At-Will · 3 Timekeeping · 3 Accommodation (Disability) · 2 Assignment Lifecycle · 2 Drug-Free / Alcohol · 2 EEO / Protected Classes · 2 Expense Reimbursement · 2 Harassment · 2 Hiring / Onboarding · 2 Remote Work · 2 Social Media / Recording · 2 Three-Party Relationship · 2 AI Tools · 1 Arbitration · 1 Bereavement · 1 Driving / Vehicles · 1 Emergency Procedures · 1 Employee Records · 1 FMLA / Family Leave · 1 Gifts / Anti-Bribery · 1 Jury Duty Leave · 1 Lactation / Nursing Mothers · 1 Meal / Rest Breaks · 1 Military Leave · 1 Overtime · 1 Paid Sick Leave · 1 Pay Transparency · 1 Pay Transparency Notice · 1 Pregnancy / Parental Leave · 1 Salary Basis / Safe Harbor · 1 Voting Leave · 1

Indiana handbook FAQ

Does Indiana require employers to have an employee handbook?

No U.S. state requires an employee handbook outright. But Indiana requires that a number of employment policies be provided to employees in writing, and a handbook is the standard, defensible way to do that. This page is informational only and is not legal advice.

What does a Indiana employee handbook need to include?

A compliant handbook layers Indiana-specific policies on top of the federal baseline (equal-opportunity, at-will, leave, anti-harassment, pay practices and more). The Indiana-specific items are listed on this page; the exact set depends on your headcount, industry, and the localities you operate in.

How do I create a compliant Indiana handbook?

Pacta's handbook generator builds a federal base plus a Indiana state addendum tailored to your company, then returns a formatted draft you can edit. Every draft must be reviewed by qualified employment counsel before you distribute it to employees.

Handbook requirements in other states

This page is general information about Indiana employment-policy requirements, not legal advice, and may not reflect the most current law. AI-generated handbooks must be reviewed and approved by qualified employment counsel licensed in the applicable jurisdiction(s) before distribution to employees.