How to communicate policy and benefits changes

​When organisations change policies or employee benefits, the communication often gets treated as a formality. Formalities like automated emails, a system prompting employees to tick a box saying they’ve read and understood, and then everyone moves on. 

In reality, this kind of ‘tick and flick’ approach is risky. People don’t read the details, they don’t fully understand what’s changed, and they’re left guessing how new rules apply to their role. That creates frustration for employees and unnecessary risk for the organisation, especially as these documents are the ones that shape day-to-day behaviour, decision making and trust.

Which is why we’ve got some practical ways to communicate policy and benefits changes so people don’t just acknowledge them, but actually understand and apply them.

1. Be explicit about what’s changing and what isn’t

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is assuming people will work out the differences themselves. Most employees don’t have time to compare old and new versions of a policy line by line, meaning, they most definitely won’t ‘simply figure it out’.

So, you need to make the changes obvious by spelling out exactly what has changed, what is staying the same, and why the change has been made to begin with. You can start with a simple comparison like  showing the previous approach alongside the updated one so people can quickly see the difference.

This is particularly important for benefits changes. People are naturally sensitive to anything that feels like a loss so if something they value is staying, tell them. If something is changing for the better, explain how and why. Most importantly, put this information right at the top of your communication. Don’t bury it in page five of a policy document or halfway down a long email because if people read nothing else, they should still walk away knowing what’s different and what isn’t.

2. Keep the language and structure simple

Policies are notorious for being written in dense, technical language. While legal or HR precision has its place, it shouldn’t come at the expense of clarity.

As a rule of thumb, policy-related communications should be easy enough for a teenager to understand. Once language becomes overly complex or jargon-heavy, comprehension drops quickly and adding a glossary rarely fixes the problem; it actually just adds more content people won’t read.

Simplicity also applies to how information is presented. Long blocks of text are easy to ignore so you should try to include a short ‘key points’ section at the top of the document. Limit this to three to five concise points that capture the most important things people need to know. Think about where people usually get confused or make mistakes, and prioritise those messages.

Where possible, replace lengthy explanations with clear dot points, diagrams or simple flowcharts. These help people scan, understand and remember what they need to do.

3. Show what the policy looks like in practice

Policies often fail because they stay abstract; meaning, people read the words but struggle to translate them into real behaviour. To avoid this, bring policies to life with practical examples. You should ask yourself: what does this actually mean for someone in their role, on a normal workday?

For example, instead of simply stating what is and isn’t allowed under an AI policy, show two short scenarios. One might demonstrate poor practice and the risks involved, while the other shows an acceptable and compliant way of using the same tool. These kinds of contrasts make expectations much clearer.

These examples don’t always need to sit inside the policy itself. They can live in supporting guidelines, FAQs, intranet pages or communication materials that accompany the policy. It’s also worth considering that different roles experience policies differently. A finance or delegation policy will land very differently with a frontline employee than with a senior leader. Tailoring scenarios to different audiences helps everyone see how the same policy applies to them.

4. Check understanding, not just acknowledgement

A ticked box doesn’t tell you whether someone understands a policy; it only tells you they clicked a button. So if understanding really matters, build in ways to test it like a simple, short quiz with a handful of multiple-choice questions linked to the policy. It could involve asking employees to respond to a prompt such as, ‘What does this change mean for you in your role?’ before they can confirm they’ve read the document.

Another effective approach is using team meetings or toolbox talks where you could ask a few team members to explain the changes to their peers. This allows deeper engagement and often results in clearer, more relatable explanations than a central presentation from head office. The goal isn’t to catch people out, though, it’s to identify where confusion exists so you can provide targeted follow-up and support.

Policies and benefits are a core part of how organisations operate. When they change, the communication around them should reflect that importance.