Delaware Employee Handbook Requirements

Delaware, while small in size, has a significant regulatory footprint for employers. The state's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour as of 2026. Delaware enacted the Healthy Delaware Families Act (HDFA) in 2022, which established the state's paid family and medical leave insurance program (Delaware Paid Leave). According to the Delaware Department of Labor, payroll contributions began January 1, 2025 and employees began filing claims for benefits on January 1, 2026. Participation is mandatory for most businesses with 10 or more employees working in Delaware, and benefits include up to 12 weeks per year of parental leave and up to six weeks every 24 months each of family caregiving and medical leave.

The Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act (DDEA) prohibits discrimination based on race, marital status, genetic information, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and disability, applying to employers with four or more employees. Delaware also has strong sexual harassment prevention requirements, including mandatory anti-harassment training for employers with 50+ employees and supervisory training requirements.

Delaware's economy revolves around financial services and banking (many major corporations are incorporated in Delaware), healthcare, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, and agriculture. The state's proximity to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. creates a workforce that frequently crosses state lines, requiring employers to carefully track which state's laws apply to each employee.