Ask an HR Pro: What Should You Include in an Employee AI Policy?

AI is everywhere and it’s here to stay. It’s an incredible tool that can help employees increase their productivity, creativity, efficiency, and more – regardless of their role or industry. If your team members are using AI for their jobs, you may be asking yourself, “Should AI safety and AI policies be part of our employee handbook?”

You have protocols in place around the use of other types of company tech, equipment, devices, and systems, so do you also need to provide your staff with an AI policy? What are the risks of not having an AI section in your employee handbook?

We asked Vickie Krolak, Senior HR Business Partner at iHire, for guidance on this quickly evolving topic.

Why Does My Employee Handbook Need an AI Policy?

“If your team members are using AI for work, then yes, you should have an AI policy in your employee handbook,” Krolak said. “Things are changing every day with this technology and there have been plenty of lawsuits around generative AI and copyright issues. It’s critical that you set your own safeguards to protect your employees, your customers, and your business. AI is governed by a mix of federal and state laws, standards, and regulations that apply to specific risks of AI, handled on a case-by-case basis.”

You may also have employees that are interested in using AI, but don’t know how to start or don’t want to try it without permission from HR or their managers.

“Some of your team members may be wary of AI and are looking to you for insight and direction. Including an AI policy in your handbook also shows your employees that you’re dedicated to adopting new technologies and not behind the curve,” Krolak added.

What to Include in an Employee AI Policy

Define & Encourage AI Use

“In your employee AI policy, start by defining what AI use is within the context of your organization,” Krolak advised. “If your company mainly uses generative AI, you could include a list of possible ways your employees might leverage the technology to write emails, blogs, manuals, code, translations, outlines, presentations, or other materials.”

If there are specific AI tools your employees are permitted to use, list those as well, along with permission to create accounts with those tools using their company email address and a secure password.

“Handbooks are generally not the most exciting thing to read, but you should include encouraging language in your AI policy, so that employees feel empowered to use it,” continued Krolak. “Be clear that you want your team to embrace AI and gain AI-related skills not only to benefit your company but also future-proof their own careers.”

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Set AI Policy Safeguards

The use of AI comes with risks regarding data privacy and security, as well as the accuracy of the data AI tools generate.

“Ensure your AI policy states that proprietary company information or sensitive information about employees or customers may not be submitted into AI platforms,” Krolak continued. “Also note that information generated by AI must be reviewed for accuracy. For example, if an employee uses AI to conduct research for a customer, they must fact-check the output before sharing it.”

Include a sentence or two that aligns employee AI use with your other workplace policies and codes of conduct, and remind employees that their AI use will be monitored on company equipment.

“At iHire, AI cannot be used to create content that is inappropriate, discriminatory, or otherwise harmful to others,” Krolak explained. “This adheres to conduct as well as antidiscrimination policies outlined elsewhere within our employee handbook, and is worth repeating to ensure everyone is on the same page.”

Finally, let employees know whom they should contact if they have questions – this will likely be your IT Operations or HR team – and offer ongoing training in AI to support them. Topics could include AI 101, AI ethics, and demonstrations of company-approved AI tools.

Explore our Resource Center for more tips on AI in the workplace, or schedule a free consultation with Krolak or another knowledgeable member of our HR Services & Consulting team. They can help you update your employee handbook or assist with any HR-related project on your to-do list.