Otaku Haven

# Intent — HR, Employment, and People

Owner: James Whitfield
Last Updated: 2026-04-21

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## Purpose

Produce the complete HR document set for Otaku Haven LLC — everything needed to hire, onboard, manage, and train employees for an 8-person anime retail store in Texas. These documents must align with the staffing model and compensation table in the reference data, the payroll assumptions in the Financial Model (Intent 2), and the entity structure from Intent 1.

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## Constraints

- All employment policies must comply with Texas employment law (at-will state, no state income tax, Texas-specific handbook requirements).
- Compensation figures must match the reference data exactly: Store Manager $65K/year, Assistant Manager $20/hr, Key Holder $18/hr, Sales Associate $15/hr.
- Payroll system is Gusto. HRIS references must reflect Gusto, not any other platform.
- Store hours are Mon–Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 11am–7pm. Scheduling documents must be consistent with these hours.
- Output format: Word (.docx) only for this intent.
- Output location: `Business Plan/03-HR/`

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## Dependencies & Files

**Input files:**
- `trail/meta/files/Otaku_Haven_Reference_Data.md` — canonical fact set (compensation, staffing, store hours, technology stack)
- `trail/meta/files/Otaku_Haven_Document_Checklist.md` — master checklist

**Cross-document dependencies (prior intent deliverables):**
- `Business Plan/01-Formation-and-Brand/Operating-Agreement.docx` — entity structure, ownership for management references
- `Business Plan/02-Strategic/Financial-Model.xlsx` — payroll assumptions, benefits costs (must match)
- `Business Plan/02-Strategic/Business-Plan.docx` — operations section references staffing model

**External dependencies:**
- None.

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## Scope (In Scope)

1. Texas-Compliant Employee Handbook containing:
   - Employment-at-Will Statement
   - Timekeeping and Attendance Policy
   - Scheduling Policy and Procedure
   - Technology and Social Media Use Policy
   - Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy
   - Workplace Violence and Safety Policy
   - Confidentiality and Trade Secrets / IP Policy
   - Discipline and Termination Procedure
2. Job Descriptions for four roles: Store Manager, Assistant Manager, Key Holder, Sales Associate
3. Offer Letter Templates (one salaried template, one hourly template)
4. New Hire Onboarding Checklist
5. Training Materials — Anime Product Knowledge Guide

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## Out of Scope (Non-Goals)

- I-9, W-4, and Direct Deposit forms — these are acquired from Gusto and federal sources.
- Benefits plan design or enrollment documents — Gusto handles this.
- Payroll setup or tax registration — acquired.
- Operational SOPs (store opening/closing, cash handling, etc.) — Intent 4.
- Actual employee records or personal data.

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## Assumptions

- The Employee Handbook is a single document with clearly separated sections, not 8 standalone documents.
- Job descriptions are individual documents (one per role, 4 total) for flexibility during hiring.
- Offer letter templates include standard terms (position, compensation, schedule, at-will language, start date placeholder) but are templates with fill-in fields, not completed letters.
- The Training Materials / Anime Product Knowledge Guide is an internal reference document that helps staff understand the product categories, key franchises, and how to make recommendations. It is not an exhaustive anime encyclopedia — it's a practical retail training tool.
- Texas has no state-mandated meal or rest break requirements for adult employees, but the handbook may include a voluntary break policy as a best practice.
- Gusto is the system of record for time tracking, scheduling, and payroll. Policies reference Gusto by name where relevant.

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## Specifics

### Employee Handbook

Single .docx document with a table of contents and clearly marked sections. Each section listed in scope must be present. The handbook should open with a welcome message, company overview (referencing Otaku Haven's mission and brand), and the Employment-at-Will statement.

Key policy details:
- **Timekeeping:** Gusto is the timekeeping system. Employees clock in/out via Gusto. Overtime rules per FLSA (non-exempt employees). Store Manager is exempt/salaried.
- **Scheduling:** Schedules published in Gusto. Minimum advance notice for schedule changes. Process for time-off requests. Coverage requirements — minimum staffing levels during operating hours.
- **Technology and Social Media:** POS system (Square) usage rules. Personal device policy. Social media policy when representing or mentioning Otaku Haven. Prohibition on sharing proprietary pricing or vendor information.
- **Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment:** Texas-compliant harassment policy. Reporting channels. Zero-tolerance statement. Reference to federal protections (Title VII, ADA).
- **Workplace Violence and Safety:** Per Texas handbook guidance, explicitly address workplace violence prevention, reporting, and response.
- **Confidentiality:** Vendor pricing, customer data (especially loyalty program data), sales figures, and business strategy are confidential. Survives termination.
- **Discipline and Termination:** Progressive discipline framework (verbal warning, written warning, final warning, termination) while preserving at-will rights. Documentation requirements.

### Job Descriptions

Each job description must include:
- Job title
- Reports to
- Employment type (full-time/part-time, exempt/non-exempt, salaried/hourly)
- Compensation (from reference data)
- Schedule expectations
- Key responsibilities (5–8 bullet points)
- Qualifications (required and preferred)
- Physical requirements (standing, lifting — standard retail)

Role-specific details:
- **Store Manager:** Overall store operations, P&L awareness, hiring, scheduling, vendor relationships, inventory oversight, community engagement. Exempt/salaried.
- **Assistant Manager:** Supports Store Manager, opens/closes store, handles escalations, trains new hires, manages daily inventory tasks. Non-exempt/hourly.
- **Key Holder:** Opens/closes store when managers unavailable, handles cash reconciliation, supervises sales floor. Non-exempt/hourly/part-time.
- **Sales Associate:** Customer engagement, product knowledge, stocking, register operation, store cleanliness. Non-exempt/hourly/part-time.

### Offer Letter Templates

Two templates:
- **Salaried template:** For Store Manager role. Includes annual salary, exempt status, benefits eligibility, start date field, at-will language.
- **Hourly template:** For Assistant Manager, Key Holder, Sales Associate. Includes hourly rate, non-exempt status, estimated weekly hours, benefits eligibility (if applicable), start date field, at-will language.

Both templates should have clear placeholder fields (e.g., [EMPLOYEE NAME], [START DATE], [COMPENSATION]) and be ready to fill in.

### New Hire Onboarding Checklist

A structured checklist covering:
- Pre-start (offer letter signed, background check, Gusto enrollment, direct deposit setup)
- Day 1 (facility tour, team introductions, handbook review and acknowledgment, POS training intro, security/alarm orientation)
- Week 1 (product knowledge training, shadow shifts, register training, review of SOPs)
- Day 30 (check-in with manager, initial performance feedback)
- Day 90 (formal review, end of introductory period)

### Training Materials — Anime Product Knowledge Guide

A practical guide covering:
- Overview of each product category (from reference data: Figures, Manga, Apparel, Accessories, Home & Lifestyle, Trading Cards, Media, Consignment)
- Key franchises and properties staff should know (e.g., Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto/Boruto, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Studio Ghibli, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!)
- How to make recommendations (matching customer interests to products, cross-selling, new release awareness)
- Handling collector and high-value items (scale figures, limited editions, grading concepts for trading cards)
- Consignment section basics (what it is, how to explain it to customers, how local creator items differ from licensed products)

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## Deliverables

1. `Employee-Handbook.docx` — Texas-compliant employee handbook with all 8 policy sections
2. `Job-Description-Store-Manager.docx` — Store Manager job description
3. `Job-Description-Assistant-Manager.docx` — Assistant Manager job description
4. `Job-Description-Key-Holder.docx` — Key Holder job description
5. `Job-Description-Sales-Associate.docx` — Sales Associate job description
6. `Offer-Letter-Template-Salaried.docx` — salaried offer letter template
7. `Offer-Letter-Template-Hourly.docx` — hourly offer letter template
8. `New-Hire-Onboarding-Checklist.docx` — structured onboarding checklist
9. `Anime-Product-Knowledge-Guide.docx` — product training reference

All deliverables written to `Business Plan/03-HR/`

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## Acceptance Criteria

1. Employee Handbook contains all 8 required policy sections with a table of contents.
2. Employment-at-Will statement is present and consistent with Texas law.
3. Scheduling Policy references store hours (Mon–Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 11am–7pm) from reference data.
4. All 4 job descriptions reference the correct compensation from the reference data.
5. Job descriptions correctly classify exempt/non-exempt status (Store Manager exempt, all others non-exempt).
6. Offer letter templates contain placeholder fields and at-will language.
7. Onboarding checklist references Gusto for enrollment and Square for POS training.
8. Training materials cover all 8 product categories from the reference data.
9. Headcount across all job descriptions totals 8 employees (1 SM, 1 AM, 2 KH, 4 SA) matching the reference data.
10. No document contradicts the Financial Model's payroll assumptions or the Business Plan's operations section.

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## Notes

The Employee Handbook is the single largest document in the project by page count. The Manager should ensure the Developer has sufficient context about each policy section to produce content that is both Texas-compliant and specific to Otaku Haven's operations (not generic boilerplate).

The Anime Product Knowledge Guide is unique to this business — there's no standard template for it. It should feel like something an enthusiastic, knowledgeable store manager would create to get new hires up to speed, not like a corporate training manual.