Internal communications · Free writing worksheet
Employee newsletter planning template
Choose the stories, give each a job and collect what you need before laying out an employee newsletter.
Download the worksheet ↗Plain text · Editable in your own document · No signup
What this is for
Use this worksheet when you have a pile of company updates and need to turn them into one issue. It covers the editorial plan: what to include, how much space each story gets and who needs to check it. It is a text worksheet you can edit in your own document.
Plan the content
Start with the reader
Name the employee group and the information they need this month. A sales team, a new starter and a colleague on a factory floor may need different versions. Write down one thing someone should know or do after reading. That gives you a way to decide which updates belong.
Give the lead story enough room
Pick a lead because it matters to the reader. Write a working headline, a one-sentence summary and the action or link that follows it. Then decide what belongs in shorter updates. If every item needs equal space, check whether you are making a newsletter or a noticeboard.
Collect the missing pieces
For each item, record the source, story owner, image permission, link and reviewer. A blank in one of those fields tells you what is holding up publication. Keep proposed stories separate from approved copy so a late suggestion cannot quietly replace something already checked.
Check it in its final format
Read the draft on the device employees will use. Check the headline order, image descriptions and destination of each link. For a PDF, check that the text remains readable without constant zooming. For email, check the actual email preview as well as the design file.
A three-page newsletter example
The Ascent ’26 concept gives a winter-sports story the cover, collects seasonal figures and highlights on the next page, then moves to shorter brand updates. Those are three different editorial jobs. The worksheet below lets you decide those jobs before choosing a layout. This is an independent Amer Sports job-application concept, not a commissioned or distributed employee newsletter.
Employee newsletter concept ↗
The worksheet
Copy this into your document and fill in the blanks. Add or remove sections to fit the brief.
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER PLAN Issue / publication date: Reader group: What should readers know or do? Format: email / PDF / intranet LEAD STORY Working headline: Why it matters to these readers: Summary in one sentence: Next action or useful link: Image / permission / alt text: Source and date checked: Story owner / reviewer: SHORT UPDATES (repeat for each item) Headline: Two-sentence summary: Why it belongs in this issue: Link / deadline / action: Source / owner / approval status: PRODUCTION Copy deadline: Review deadline: Person sending or publishing: Mobile or PDF readability check: Links and accessibility check: AFTER PUBLICATION Reader questions or feedback: What to change for the next issue:
Before you send it
- Can someone identify the main story without reading every paragraph?
- Does each update explain why it matters to this reader group?
- Are deadlines, links and source dates correct?
- Is the call to action specific enough to act on?
Use the example as a reference
Open the full concept to compare the plan with the finished pages. Use your own approved stories and images in the worksheet.
See the project ↗