How to write and manage company policies and procedures

Writing and managing company policies and procedures starts with understanding what your organization needs, then creating clear, simple guidelines people can actually use. From there, it’s about collaborating with stakeholders, validating requirements, sharing updates in the right places, and reviewing each policy regularly so it stays accurate, compliant, and consistently applied across your workplace.

Picture this: you’re running a busy ice cream shop with 15 employees. Everyone’s doing their best – but because each person was trained by someone different, things get done in different ways. Customers get inconsistent experiences, employees get mixed messages, and you spend too much time putting out avoidable fires.

That’s exactly why policies and procedures matter. They give your business a clear, consistent way of working – whether you’ve got 15 people or 15,000. The challenge? Creating, updating, and actually keeping track of them can feel overwhelming.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to write policies and procedures that are easy to follow, how to keep them up to date, and how to communicate them in a way your employees will actually understand (and use). Clear, practical steps – so your teams stay aligned, your operation runs smoother, and everyone knows exactly what “good” looks like.

What are workplace policies & procedures?

Before you start writing anything, it helps to get clear on the basics – because policies and procedures aren’t the same thing.

Policies set the big-picture direction for how your organization handles an issue. They keep everyone aligned on your standards, values, and expectations.

Procedures break that policy into step-by-step actions, giving employees a clear path to follow when something happens.

Together, they work as the “what” and the “how.” Policies define the intent; procedures show people exactly what to do, when to do it, and why it matters.

Why are they important?

Effective policies and procedures remove the guesswork. They clarify what’s acceptable, reinforce your culture and expectations, and reduce the strain on HR and managers.

When written well, they:

• create consistency across teams, shifts, and locations.
• support regulatory compliance.
• support better onboarding and training.
• hold everyone to the same standards.
• make information easy – and quick to find.

Clear rules don’t just protect your organization – they improve the quality of work and keep everyone moving in the same direction.

Types of policies & procedures

You don’t need dozens of policies to get started – but you do need the essentials. Here are the most common types:

Attendance

Every workplace needs this. Absenteeism hurts productivity, increases turnover, and slows down teams. Your attendance policy should cover late arrivals, sick days, vacations, appointments, and volunteer time.

Conduct

This one shapes your culture. A strong conduct policy sets expectations for professional behavior – from harassment and discrimination to bullying, smoking, and substance use. When employees feel safe and respected, they stay longer.

Equal opportunity

Favoritism destroys morale fast. A clear equal opportunity policy protects against discrimination and ensures fair treatment based on race, gender, age, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics.

Read this: Is your workplace truly inclusive?

Health & safety

If people don’t feel safe at work, nothing else matters. Your policy should address injuries, illness, equipment safety, emergency procedures, and how to report an issue – helping you avoid costly incidents and support employee wellbeing.

Use of company property

Employees need access to tools and resources, but expectations must be clear. Outline how company property and funds can be used and what’s off-limits.

Remote work

Remote and hybrid work are now standard. Your remote work policy should define eligibility, schedules, required equipment, expectations for communication, and how remote work intersects with attendance, safety, and conduct.

Writing policies & procedures for your workplace

Now that you know what you need, here’s how to write them:

Start with the purpose

What problem are you solving? Safety? Punctuality? Protecting equipment? That clarity sets the tone.

Identify who it applies to

Frontline workers? Managers? Remote teams? Different groups may need different guidance.

Read our guide: How to improve the frontline worker experience.

Define what’s acceptable

Be specific. Concrete rules prevent confusion and reduce disputes.

Outline consequences

Clear outcomes make enforcement easier – and fair.

What makes a good policy or procedure?

Ambiguity is the enemy.

Good policies are:

• clear – written in plain language
• scannable – short sentences, simple structure
• actionable – no grey areas
• realistic – something employees can actually follow
• supported by leaders – because if leaders don’t model it, it won’t stick

And remember: policies are living documents. Review them regularly, update as needed, and keep communication open so employees can give feedback

Enforcing & managing workplace policies & procedures

The best policies don’t matter if they’re buried in someone’s inbox.

Centralize everything. Organize it. Make it easy to find. Track what gets viewed and what needs updating. Collect feedback so your guidelines evolve with your organization.

Tools that keep policies accessible and searchable – like your intranet – can make or break adoption.

Take control of your policies – start with your intranet

Your intranet isn’t just for announcements – it’s the perfect home base for every policy, procedure, and process your teams rely on. And with Appspace, you can do even more than simply store documents. You can organize, automate, and surface the right information at the right time.

Use Appspace Pages to create a clean, structured Policy Hub with categories, quick links, and featured updates. Add workflows so employees can confirm they’ve read critical policies (no more chasing signatures). Use Appspace AI, to create summaries, translate content into multiple languages and automatically tag content so it’s easy to find.

Frontline employees? They get instant access in the Employee App, so policies aren’t buried in email – they’re right in their pocket.

And with search across integrations like SharePoint and Google Drive, everything stays centralized, even if documents live in different systems.

When policy management feels simple and accessible, your teams stay aligned, accountable, safe, and empowered – without all the admin headaches.

See what Appspace can do for your organization and schedule a demo today.