Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy Templates
This group of Health, Safety and Wellbeing Templates provides a joined-up framework to manage smoking and vaping, alcohol and drugs misuse, lone working, mental health and menopause at work. Together they help employers meet key UK health and safety, equality and employment law duties while supporting staff wellbeing and reducing operational risk. All these templates have been drafted and maintained up-to-date by experienced HR Professionals and solicitors.
No Smoking Policy
A comprehensive workplace smoking policy that bans or tightly controls smoking on company premises, in vehicles and at work, with options for designated areas. It reinforces legal compliance, sets clear behavioural standards and signposts support for employees who wish to stop smoking.
E-Cigarettes Guidance Notes
Plain-language e-cigarettes guidance to help employers decide their approach to e-cigarettes, vapes and ENDS in the workplace. It explains the legal position, health and reputational issues, and options for rules and designated areas, supporting consistent implementation alongside the no-smoking policy.
Alcohol Policy
This alcohol policy manages alcohol use on and off site while on company business. It sets restrictions on drinking, explains indicators of alcohol misuse, and links to disciplinary procedures, while encouraging early disclosure, support, treatment and, where possible, a managed return to work.
Drugs Policy
A detailed drugs and substance misuse policy covering legal duties, prohibition of illegal and non-prescription controlled drugs at work, signs of misuse, searches and gross misconduct. It balances strong safety controls with fair, confidential support and rehabilitation options for employees with drug-related problems.
Lone Worker Policy
A practical lone working policy that defines lone workers, references risk assessment duties and sets out procedures, controls and communication requirements for staff working alone, off-site or out of hours. It supports safer working practices and provides evidence of risk management.
Mental Health and Stress Policy
This mental health and stress policy template frames mental health and work-related stress as core health and safety issues. It explains legal duties, common causes and signs of stress, and sets principles for risk assessment, supportive management, sickness absence handling and confidential access to help.
Menopause Policy
A dedicated menopause policy that defines menopause and perimenopause, lists common symptoms and sets expectations for open conversations, support and reasonable adjustments (e.g. temperature control, flexible working, workload review). It promotes inclusion, retention and legal compliance where symptoms amount to a disability.
Used together, these templates form an integrated wellbeing framework setting clear rules and fostering legal compliance. They help employers and managers apply consistent practices covering smoking, alcohol and drugs and also extending to mental health and menopause supporting a safer, more inclusive workplace culture.
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Frequently Asked Questions
My business has staff working in an enclosed office. Do I have to have a written smoking policy, or is the legal ban enough on its own? +
A written No Smoking Policy is not legally required, because the Health Act 2006 ban on smoking in all enclosed or substantially enclosed workplaces in England, including work vehicles used by more than one person, applies whether or not you have one. A policy is strongly recommended: it sets out your rules, signals any designated smoking area options, explains what happens if staff breach the ban and signposts stop-smoking support. Simply-Docs provides a No Smoking Policy template covering these points, adoptable alongside the E-Cigarettes Guidance Notes, which handles vaping separately as e-cigarettes fall outside the statutory ban.
I suspect one of my employees is coming to work under the influence of alcohol. What are my legal obligations and do I need a policy in place before I can act? +
You do not need a written alcohol policy before you can act, but one makes your position far stronger. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 you must protect the health, safety and welfare of all employees, and knowingly letting a visibly impaired employee keep working and put colleagues at risk could itself breach that duty. A written Alcohol Policy sets the rules on drinking before and during work, explains the indicators of misuse, links disciplinary steps to a fair process and sets out support and rehabilitation. The Simply-Docs Alcohol Policy template covers all this, including a managed return to work, and sits within a staff handbook.
Does my business need a drugs policy, and what legal risks do I face if an employee is misusing controlled substances at work? +
No blanket statutory duty requires a written drugs policy, but your exposure without one is significant. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 it is a criminal offence to knowingly permit the production, supply or use of controlled drugs on your premises, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires you to protect employees' health, safety and welfare, including risks from drug misuse. A Drugs Policy sets prohibition rules, explains signs of misuse, covers searches and gross misconduct and provides a confidential support and rehabilitation pathway, balancing safety with fair treatment. The Simply-Docs Drugs Policy template covers these elements and can be tailored to your sector and risk level.
Some of my staff work alone or off-site. What do I have to do legally to manage their safety and is there a template to help? +
Lone working is not prohibited, but you must manage its risks: under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 you must assess all risks to employees, including lone working, and put controls in place so lone workers face no greater risk than others. A written Lone Worker Policy formalises this, sets out communication and monitoring procedures, defines lone working and evidences your risk management. The Simply-Docs Lone Worker Policy Template covers these elements for staff working alone, off-site or out of hours.
I am worried about work-related stress in my team. What does the law require me to do and does a mental health policy help? +
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 you must assess and control health risks at work, including stress, recording the risk assessment in writing if you have five or more employees. The HSE treats work-related stress as a health and safety risk and publishes Management Standards covering six areas: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. A written policy helps by showing you treat mental health as a core health and safety matter, setting out how managers respond to stress, linking to your sickness absence process and signposting confidential support. The Simply-Docs Mental Health and Stress Policy Template covers these principles and can be tailored to your organisation.
Do I need a menopause policy, and what are my legal obligations to employees experiencing menopause symptoms? +
No standalone menopause policy is required as a general statutory duty, but there is an important incoming exception and your existing legal obligations are real. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, from 6 April 2026 employers of all sizes can voluntarily publish action plans around menopause and gender pay gaps, and in 2027 this will become mandatory for employers with 250 or more workers, who must include at least one action that supports employees experiencing menopause. If you have fewer than 250 workers this mandatory duty will not apply to you. Under the Equality Act 2010 you must make reasonable adjustments where menopause symptoms have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities, because they can amount to a disability; failing to do so is unlawful disability discrimination. Employees may also be protected from unfavourable treatment on grounds of age and sex, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission published employer guidance in February 2024. A dedicated policy signals you take this seriously, sets out practical adjustments such as temperature control and flexible working and reduces discrimination claims. The Simply-Docs Menopause Policy template covers all this and suits most employers in England and Wales.
