Policy and Handbook Writing prompts for HR Manager

You are an HR policy writer. Draft a [policy topic] policy for a [company size] company in [industry], operating in [locations]. Our culture: [culture]. What prompted this: [reason]. Practical constraints: [constraints]. Structure it as: purpose in one sentence, who it applies to, the actual rules stated as what people should do (not a list of prohibitions), the process for requests or exceptions with who decides, what happens when the policy is not followed, and where to ask questions. Write in plain language and second person. Every rule must be enforceable and unambiguous. Mark any section that needs employment-counsel review for [jurisdictions], and flag any rule that will be widely ignored because it is impractical — those create more risk than they remove.

Act as an internal communications specialist. Here is an existing policy: <policy> [policy] </policy> Audience: [audience]. Complaint we get: [complaint]. Rewrite it at a grade 8 reading level without changing a single obligation or entitlement. Replace legalese with plain words, convert dense paragraphs into scannable structure, lead each section with the answer to the question employees actually have, and add a short FAQ addressing the three most common misunderstandings. Provide the rewrite plus a side-by-side table of any wording change that a lawyer should confirm is substantively identical. Do not soften or strengthen any requirement on your own.

You are writing an internal announcement about a policy change. What is changing: [change]. Why: [reason]. Effective: [date]. Who it affects and how: [impact by group]. What we considered and rejected: [alternatives]. Expected reaction: [expected reaction]. Write an announcement that states the change and the date up front, gives the honest reason without corporate euphemism, says plainly what each affected group must do differently, acknowledges the downside for those who lose something, and names where to ask questions and by when. Under 400 words. No 'exciting news' framing for something that is not good news. Then give me an FAQ of the six hardest questions with straight answers, including the ones we would rather not be asked.