Generate Documents from Scratch

Create legally compliant HR documents using your handbook policies

5 min readUpdated 11 January 2026Reviewed for UK law
Sources:ACAS

What is Document Generation?

Bounda's Document Studio lets you generate professional HR documents that are automatically aligned with your employee handbook. Instead of starting from a blank template, you answer guided questions and the AI creates a complete, legally-aware document.

Key Benefits

  • Policy-Aligned: Documents reference your actual handbook policies, ensuring consistency
  • UK Law Compliant: Built-in knowledge of statutory requirements
  • 40+ Document Types: From employment contracts to disciplinary outcomes
  • Guidance Notes: HR tips embedded where decisions need human judgement

Document Types Available

Document Studio supports over 40 HR document types across six categories:

Contracts & Agreements

  • • Employment Contracts
  • • Offer Letters
  • • Contract Amendments
  • • NDAs
  • • Secondment Agreements
  • • Apprenticeship Agreements

Leave & Absence

  • • Maternity Leave Confirmation
  • • Paternity Leave Confirmation
  • • Flexible Working Decisions
  • • Return to Work Forms
  • • Absence Review Letters

Disciplinary & Performance

  • • Disciplinary Outcome Letters
  • • Written Warnings
  • • Performance Improvement Plans
  • • Investigation Outcome Letters
  • • Appeal Outcome Letters

Grievance & Support

  • • Grievance Outcome Letters
  • • Mediation Summaries
  • • Probation Review Forms
  • • Occupational Health Referrals

Benefits & Agreements

  • • Training Agreements
  • • Loan Agreements
  • • Salary Sacrifice Agreements
  • • Bonus Scheme Letters
  • • Settlement Agreements

Leaving & Termination

  • • Resignation Acknowledgements
  • • Notice Period Confirmation
  • • Redundancy Letters
  • • Settlement Agreements
  • • Exit Interview Forms

How to Generate a Document

1

Select Document Type

Go to Document Studio and browse the document categories. Click on the document type you need (e.g., "Disciplinary Outcome Letter").

You'll see two options:

Draft New Document

Answer questions to generate a fresh document

Check Existing Document

Paste an existing document to check compliance

2

Policy Readiness Check

Before generating, Bounda automatically checks that your handbook has the policies needed to create this document. You'll see:

Full Coverage — Policy exists and is comprehensive
Partial Coverage — Policy exists but may be basic
Missing — Required policy doesn't exist

Tip: If policies are missing, you can still proceed — the AI will use UK statutory defaults. But for best results, create the policy first using Policy Studio.

3

Complete the Wizard

Answer the guided questions across several sections. The questions are specific to each document type — for example, a disciplinary letter will ask about:

  • • Employee details (name, job title, department)
  • • Hearing details (date, attendees, allegations)
  • • Decision and reasoning
  • • Sanction details (warning level, duration)
  • • Appeal rights and next steps

Smart Questions: Some questions only appear based on your previous answers. For example, "What adjustments are needed?" only shows if you selected "returning with adjustments".

4

Review Generated Document

The AI generates a complete document using your answers and your handbook policies. Review the output for:

  • Accuracy: Are all the details correct?
  • Tone: Does it sound professional and appropriate?
  • Completeness: Is anything missing?
  • Guidance Notes: Look for [GUIDANCE: ...] markers that need your input

Guidance Notes: These highlight areas where human judgement is needed — e.g., "Review whether this sanction is proportionate to the misconduct". They're removed when you export to Word.

5

Edit & Export

Make any edits directly in the editor, then export:

Export as Word (.docx)
Copy to clipboard

The Word export automatically removes guidance notes and formats the document professionally.

Understanding Legal Document Types

Not all HR documents have the same legal status. Understanding this helps you know how carefully to review them:

Legally Binding Agreements

These CREATE legal obligations and are the primary source of truth for the employee. They may have stricter terms than your policy (which is allowed).

Examples: Employment Contracts, Offer Letters, NDAs, Settlement Agreements, Training Agreements with Clawback

Policy-Derived Documents

These IMPLEMENT your policies. The handbook is the source of truth, so these must align exactly with your policies to be valid.

Examples: Disciplinary Outcome Letters, Written Warnings, PIPs, Grievance Outcomes, Probation Reviews

Administrative Forms

These RECORD information. They support processes but don't create binding obligations. Less critical if wording differs, as long as required data is captured.

Examples: Return to Work Forms, Exit Interview Forms, New Starter Forms, Policy Acknowledgements

Tips for Best Results

Build Your Policies First

The generated document is only as good as your handbook. Make sure relevant policies (Disciplinary, Grievance, Leave, etc.) are created and approved before generating documents.

Be Specific in Your Answers

The more detail you provide, the better the document. For example, instead of "Poor performance", write "Failed to meet sales targets in Q2 and Q3 despite support measures".

Always Review Guidance Notes

Guidance notes flag areas needing human judgement. Don't skip these — they often highlight legal risks or decisions only you can make.

Regenerate If Needed

If the document doesn't quite fit, click "Regenerate" for a fresh version. The AI may produce slightly different phrasing each time.

Checking vs Generating Documents

Document Studio offers two modes — use the right one for your situation:

Generate New Document

When: You need to create a document from scratch

  • • Answer guided questions
  • • AI creates complete document
  • • Based on your handbook policies
  • • Includes guidance notes

Check Existing Document

When: You have a document and want to verify it's compliant

  • • Paste your existing document
  • • AI analyses against policies
  • • Get compliance score (0-100)
  • • See specific issues to fix

Pro tip: For important documents like employment contracts, you might want to both generate a new document AND run a compliance check on your final version before sending it out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of documents can I generate with Bounda?

Bounda supports 40+ HR document types including offer letters, employment contracts, disciplinary letters, grievance responses, flexible working decision letters, redundancy notices, and many more. Documents are categorised as legally binding (contracts), policy-derived (letters), or administrative (forms).

How does document generation work?

Select a document type, then complete a smart wizard with questions about your specific situation. Bounda's AI generates a compliant document using your handbook policies as the source. You can review, edit, and export the document as Word or copy to clipboard.

Are generated documents legally compliant?

Generated documents are designed to align with UK employment law and your handbook policies. For legally binding documents like contracts, we recommend legal review before use. Policy-derived letters like disciplinary warnings follow ACAS guidance automatically.

What policies do I need before generating documents?

Bounda checks your handbook for relevant policies before generating each document. If required policies are missing (e.g., disciplinary procedure for a warning letter), you'll be prompted to create them first. This ensures documents align with your stated procedures.

Can I customise generated documents?

Yes, all generated documents can be edited before export. Add specific details, adjust wording, or make any changes needed. Your edits don't affect the original template, so you can regenerate if needed.

📝 Start Creating Documents

Ready to generate your first document? Head to Document Studio and try it out.

Browse More Guides

Related Guides