Letter enclosing a company policy

Sometimes, an employee will need to be sent a copy of a particular company policy. This might be because they're off sick or you feel that it's appropriate to highlight certain workplace rules and procedures. In this situation, you should get their written confirmation that the document has been received. Our covering letter can help you here.

Workplace rules 

Company policies set out your workplace rules and you have every right to expect employees to follow them. All members of staff should be able to access your policies easily. Some employers facilitate this by producing printed staff handbooks which are issued to each employee. Others make the documentation available via their company intranet. The latter option can allow amendments to be made much more quickly.

But an employee won't know about a new company policy, or any update to an existing one, if they are on a period of long-term absence, e.g. due to maternity leave or sickness. In this situation, you'll need to specifically write to them enclosing a copy of the documentation. This ensures they're aware of your new rules thus minimising the risk of any disputes on their return. There might also be times where you need to speak to an employee informally about an issue, e.g. timekeeping, and want to reiterate the company's rules by sending them a copy of a particular policy. This will also help you if disciplinary action is needed at a later date. 

Draw to your attention 

Alternatively, an employee might specifically request sight of a particular policy. For example, they may want to know:

• their rights to request flexible working
• your rules on maternity leave and pay
• your sickness absence reporting procedures
• the required process for filling in expenses claim forms.

Whilst you will already have given them all this information, there's no harm in complying with their request. Not only will this give you the opportunity to draw certain elements to their attention, it prevents them from saying that they weren't aware of your rules at a later date.

Our Letter Enclosing a Company Policy can be tailored to the individual circumstances you are dealing with. It also asks the employee to sign and date the duplicate letter enclosed and return it to you. This confirms that they have received and understood your policy.