Employee handbooks are not a legal requirement, but employers are obligated to inform employees about company policies. Is It Mandatory to Create a Staff Handbook in the UK?The short answer is that it's not mandatory. Employee handbooks are not a legal requirement on their own. Is it a legal requirement to have an employee handbook in the UK? No, a staff handbook is not a legal requirement for UK businesses. In the United Kingdom, there is no legal requirement for businesses to have an employee handbook. Scope and Application of Employee Handbook. 2. Meaning of key terms. 3. Staff handbooks are not a legal requirement in the UK, but they can be efficient tools.