Free Policies and Procedures Templates

In this article

• How to Write Policies and Procedures Template
• Template Examples
• The Best Way to Enforce Compliance
• Free Policies and Procedures Templates

How to Write Policies and Procedures Template

Write policies and procedures easily with a template that includes the following:

Policy Title & Policy Number

The policy title should be concise, meaning it should be descriptive and also straightforward. Both the policy title and the policy number will help you keep track of the policy as it goes through the different stages, from issuance to implementation.

Policy Approval Signature

The policy approval signature is essential to enforcing compliance with the policy later on. Without the authority granted by the approver’s signature, the policy may be viewed simply as an unofficial rule or a best practice. Employees are less likely to follow a policy that does not have the approval of the relevant department head.

Purpose

The purpose of the policy should always be included since it gives the reader or recipient of the policy an idea of why the policy was created. When writing the purpose of the policy, identify the organizational, business, or operational need that the policy hopes to fulfill. Also include the intent of the policy or its specific approach to fulfilling that need.

Policy Statement

The policy statement is the company’s official stance on the topic of the policy. Be very careful with the wording of the policy statement. The decision to include or exclude and choose certain words, terms, or phrases may have major repercussions in the long run. Write the policy statement in collaboration with representatives from the relevant department and the legal team.

Procedures

Procedures related to the policy are like the subtopics of a policy. Often, these procedures will detail how to perform a series of tasks or a set of activities in compliance with the company’s policy. Human resources professionals have the option to include the contents of all related procedures in the policy itself (for maximum clarity) or simply reference the procedures (so that the focus is on the policy only).

Scope

To make it clear which groups of people the policy and procedures stated above apply to, the scope of the policy should be placed after the policy statement and the list of procedures. The scope should also specify exceptions to the policy and the people to whom the policy does not apply.

Responsibilities

Outline the responsibilities of each person under the policy. Do they need to simply follow the policy and complete its procedures correctly? Do they need to enforce the policy or a particular procedure? Will they need to self-check or check if others are following the policy? Basically, it’s telling who should be doing what.

Template Examples

Below are policies and procedures examples and free templates to use when writing them:

Code of Conduct

Code of conduct policies and procedures are usually centered on the company’s values and contain specific requirements for how persons in the company should behave to embody those values. With this policies and procedures template, you can clearly state what is not allowed by the company’s code of conduct.

Social Media

Social media policies and procedures describe what persons in the company can and cannot do on social media. Use this template to add photo examples (or screenshots) of social media do’s and don’ts, so that the company’s online image remains consistent. 

Health and Safety

Health and safety policies and procedures are typically focused on health and safety hazards. However, the other types of hazards in the workplace should also be included. Both harassment and discrimination are classified under psychosocial hazards, which can be just as damaging to a person as any health or safety hazard.