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FREE HR TEMPLATES

100% free HR policy templates for Australian SMEs

Professional, ready-to-use HR policy and form templates built for Australian small businesses. Browse by category — conduct, leave, safety, performance, rostering, time & attendance and HR forms. Fully editable and 100% free, with no signup required.

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These HR templates reflect Australian workplace standards and Fair Work principles at the time of publication and are provided as a general guide to review and adapt for your business, industry and applicable modern award. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.

References HR Hub disclaimer Modern Awards Fair Work

What HR policies does a small business need in Australia?

Every Australian small business should give new hires the Fair Work Information Statement, and to manage risk under the Fair Work Act and WHS laws a handful of core policies are essential. These include work health and safety, anti-discrimination, harassment and bullying, and privacy — plus everyday operational policies like a code of conduct, leave and technology use.

This library groups our free templates into clear categories so you can build a complete HR framework one step at a time. Whether you run a hospitality, retail or healthcare business, you’ll find editable policies and HR forms ready to brand and use.

Managing it all is easier with HR software that stores your policies, sends them to staff for sign-off and tracks acknowledgements in one place.

Australian small business team reviewing HR policies together

Browse free HR templates by category

Pick a category to explore every policy and form — all free, all editable

14 POLICIES

Behaviour & conduct policies

Standards for professionalism, communication and workplace behaviour — code of conduct, harassment and bullying, social media, alcohol and drug, and more.

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10 POLICIES

Leave & attendance policies

Leave entitlements, attendance requirements and flexible work — annual, personal and parental leave, public holidays, long service leave and more.

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7 POLICIES

Performance & employment policies

Performance management, training and the employment lifecycle — probation, misconduct, capability, termination and exit.

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20 POLICIES

Safety & compliance policies

WHS policies, risk management and regulatory compliance — incident reporting, emergency evacuation, first aid, fatigue management and return to work.

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8 POLICIES

Technology & data policies

IT usage, data protection and information security — acceptable use, email, internet, BYOD, passwords and monitoring.

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11 POLICIES

Rostering policies

Shift scheduling, roster changes and availability management — roster notice, shift swaps, on-call, maximum hours and rest periods.

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12 POLICIES

Time & attendance policies

Time tracking, clock in/out procedures and timesheet management — breaks, overtime recording, attendance compliance and timesheet approval.

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18 FORMS

HR forms

Ready-to-use HR forms for everyday workforce management — leave applications, incident reports, grievances, performance reviews, warning and termination letters.

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Who these templates are best for

Small businesses without HR support Hospitality & retail teams Childcare & healthcare providers Growing teams hiring frequently Businesses wanting Fair Work alignment

Explore the rest of the free template library

Browse our other free template collections for Australian businesses

All free templates

Browse the complete library of free HR, roster, payroll and time & attendance templates.

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Roster templates

Free weekly, fortnightly and shift roster templates ready to download and edit.

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Time & attendance templates

Timesheets, clock-in records and attendance trackers for Australian teams.

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Award & payroll templates

Pay rate calculators, payslips and award-based payroll templates.

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Helpful guides & resources

Put these policies into practice with our wider HR resources.

HR software & policy management How to write a workplace policy How to implement a new policy How to handle a workplace complaint Employment law guides Fair Work Act glossary

HR templates by industry

Tailored for the Australian industries we serve.

Hospitality & cafes Retail stores Healthcare & aged care Childcare centres Trades & construction Manufacturing

Why HR policies matter for small businesses

Clear, documented HR policies reduce misunderstandings, strengthen workplace culture and help employers manage issues consistently and fairly. They also protect your business by demonstrating due diligence and compliance with Fair Work and WHS requirements — especially around harassment, discrimination and worker safety.

Starting with a strong code of conduct and core safety and compliance policies gives you a legally sound foundation you can build on as your team grows. For the supporting process, see our employment law guides and the Fair Work Act glossary entry.

Looking for a better way to manage policies?

Digitise your HR documents, send policies to staff for sign-off, track acknowledgements and store everything securely in one place with the RosterElf HR Hub.

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FAQ

Free HR templates FAQ

  • Choose a category above, open the template you need, then download the document. There’s no signup, email or registration required — templates download instantly.

  • Yes. Every policy and form is completely free with no hidden costs. We provide them to help Australian businesses establish proper HR documentation.

  • Yes — templates are fully editable. Add your business name and logo, remove sections that don’t apply and adjust the language to match your workplace and applicable modern award.