Are your policies even being read?

Often company documents and employee handbooks get forgotten about, ignored or don’t even get read in the first place … but they really should be! They are full of essential information for your team, especially policies which, if not adhered to, could lead to serious consequences for the employee.

So, how to get your workforce engage with these documents?

You are maybe reading this thinking, “Easier said than done, vivoHR…we’ve tried.” We know it can be tricky to convince staff they are worth reading. Especially to keep up momentum and not simply have policies that are only looked at during induction for a new starter. What happens when it comes to enforcing a policy or being guided by the company values set out in the employee handbook?

The first essential step is for you – and your management team – to understand the power of a robust policy. Check out our blog on writing strong policies to learn why they are a business’s superpower.

So, how can you make policies and handbooks more memorable and engaging, so that they can be more consistently effective?

Reasons why employees don’t read policies

1. Lack of relevance: Perhaps employees don’t see how the documents relate to their everyday work life.
2. Poor accessibility: The documents are not handy for the employee to read when they want.
3. No encouragement to read them: No one is reminding staff about the importance of policies or the employee handbook. (Could this be because the management team themselves do not see the importance of them?)
4. No time dedicated to read them: Staff might feel that whilst they are expected to read them, they are not offered time during the workday to look at them properly.
5. Negative tone: If the policy or handbook seems critical, positions employees as the wrongdoers in situations or perpetuates an “us vs. them” rhetoric, the policies will inevitably be dislikable!
6. Uninteresting formatting: Walls of text immediately put off a reader.  
7. One-way communication: Maybe staff haven’t been consulted or offered an opportunity to comment on the policies or content of the handbook, therefore they feel disconnected from them.
8. Formal language: Formal language or professional jargon could make it harder for the employee to remain engaged with the content of the document.
9. Too long and overwhelming: The longer the text, the more likely readers will lose interest and end up not taking anything on board.
10.  No ongoing enforcement: If the employees know that the policies are ignored, why would they bother reading them?

Why employees should read polices

It’s essential that employees read and understand company policies and their employee handbook because these documents set the foundation for how the organisation operates.

They outline rights, responsibilities and expected behaviours, helping to create clarity, consistency and a shared understanding across teams. When policies are read and absorbed, they don’t just support compliance, they also foster trust, reduce misunderstandings and reinforce a positive workplace culture.

Often policies are collected into the employee handbook, which acts as a manual to the business, especially for new starters, but they are important for all staff to utilise throughout their time at the company.

Don’t forget that your policies and handbooks are not just for your staff, that documentation is there to protect you as their employers!

How to Make Your Documents More Engaging

• Use plain language: avoid legal or technical jargon. Remember not to be too casual, just clear and concise.  Use language that employees can identify with.
• Reflect company culture: Is your handbook boring, long and formal, but actually your environment is creative, relaxed and collaborative? Why would your team care about a document that doesn’t represent the business they work for? Your policies need to be value-driven to be taken seriously.
• Go Digital: Make sure handbooks and policies are easily available online or on your company intranet. In 2025 you’ve got to be digital.  It’s generally the easiest way to ensure only the current version is circulating and to update the team when changes are made.  You can also track who has read them and even get a digital signature to confirm understanding.
• Make it accessible: This one and the one above go hand in hand. Put it where your team are more likely to look at it. Not tucked away in a folder somewhere.  If not everyone can easily access digital copies perhaps leave a copy of the handbook in the breakroom, or you could pin some policies on a central bulletin board.
• Include real live scenarios: Showing staff how something might relate to their everyday work life will demonstrate the significance of your policies – this will help employees use the policy if they find themselves in a similar situation. If everything in the policy seems abstract, it’s less likely to feel relevant.
• Include feedback mechanisms: Seek employee input on how documents can be improved. What might be important for your team to have in the employee handbook that perhaps you haven’t considered? How do the team feel when they read the policies? Do they want a policy on something you haven’t done yet?

Don’t Let Your Policies Collect Dust

Could you do something fun and interactive? What about asking your employees for an example of a something they have seen that demonstrates a value of your code of conduct.

Recommend that managers deliver a short 3-minute policy highlight during team meetings, focusing on one policy each month – keeping the policy ‘live’ rather than something forgotten straight after induction!

If a policy is updated, send a short “Did you know?” email or Teams message. Use push notifications on your staff portal or intranet.

How about asking the team to come up with suggestions about ways to keep the important values / behaviours and policy points front and centre of employees’ minds.  Could it be using  “kudos points” in your HR management software, screen savers of important announcements? We’re sure your teams can be more creative than us!

If you want your policies and handbook to be more than just a tick-box exercise, they need to be readable, relevant and respected. It’s not enough to write a document and hope for the best, you need to actively embed it into your culture and your everyday conversations. When done well, your policies become a powerful tool for clarity, consistency and connection across your team.

Need help making it happen? Give us a call on 01252 757359 or drop us an email at hello@vivohr.co.uk, we’d love to support you.