• Company personnel policies help employees understand the way you intend to run your business or organization. As an employer, you must effectively communicate how you'll handle situations that occur in any workplace. You can communicate these expectations and guidelines by creating written policies and promoting them through an employee handbook that all employees must acknowledge in writing that they have read and understood.
  
  

Discipline Policy

• A discipline policy might be your most important personnel policy. It protects you from wrongful lawsuits employees may bring regarding your disciplinary actions. A discipline policy lets your employees know your rules and procedures and the consequences of breaking them. Knowing what can constitute as immediate termination is an incentive for employees to act in a way that lets them keep their jobs.
  
  

Attendance Policy

• Attendance can be a problem for some employees. You need a policy stating that you expect all employees to be on the job. An attendance policy can also cover sick, vacation and holiday time. Your policy should state how employees can request time off and how they should notify their immediate supervisors in the event of unforeseeable tardies or absences. As with all policies, you need to state the consequences of breaking the policy.
  
  

Policies on Drug and Alcohol Abuse

• The use of illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol abuse can lead to loss in employee productivity. A policy on drug and alcohol abuse can remedy the situation. Your policy should include expectations that employees will not use illegal drugs and or abuse alcohol before and during work hours, how supervisors will handle drug- or alcohol-impaired employees and disciplinary action for violating the policy.
  
  Many employees also have a smoke-free workplace policy. Encouraging non-use of tobacco keeps employees healthy, which can help control health insurance costs. A policy can also improve the health and cleanliness of the workplace. Employees who do not smoke benefit from not being around those who do. Some policies also provide smoking cessation assistance to employees who want to kick the habit.
  
  

Policies on Pay

• Telling employees how they'll be paid requires a policy. Your policy needs to state how they're paid, the frequency of pay and the conditions for overtime pay. It should explain the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees, how you pay bonuses and commissions, if applicable, and whether their checks will be issued in paper or electronically.