BrightHR warns that AI-generated HR policies often lack crucial operational and legal detail, so they should always be reviewed by human experts.
-- BrightHR, one of the UK’s leading HR software and advisory services providers, has shared new findings showing that AI‑generated HR policies can miss crucial details that help employers stay consistent, fair, and legally safer in practice. The findings come from an internal review led by Gemma O’Connor, Head of HR Advisory and Technical Services at BrightHR, who assessed an AI‑written absence management policy produced from a simple prompt.
Key points
· AI‑generated policies can appear to cover the essentials based on headings alone, but may omit critical operational detail underneath.
· Vague wording (“notify as soon as possible”) can create disputes, especially around timeframes, who to contact, and acceptable methods of contact.
· “Trigger point” rules (like “third absence = warning”) can be dangerous if interpreted literally without fair process and investigation.
· BrightHR’s advice: use AI to help, but always seek a review from a human expert in HR and employment law.
“Fast and cheap” doesn’t always mean safe
With AI tools becoming more accessible, many employers are turning to them to generate HR policies, contracts, and handbook content. While this can save time, BrightHR warns it can also introduce risk if AI output is adopted without review.
To test this, BrightHR prompted an AI tool to produce an absence policy with a specific rule: “after the third absence, employees will be issued a formal warning.”
The policy looked credible on first impression, with standard headings that covered the essentials. However, when assessed, Gemma O’Connor found the policy lacked practical detail employers typically need to apply rules consistently and fairly.
“When you look at the headings, you think yes, it hits all of the key points. But when you actually read the content underneath, there are a lot of crucial pieces of information missing,” said Gemma O’Connor, Head of HR Advisory and Technical Services at BrightHR.
Finding 1: “As soon as possible” is a loophole, not a process
The AI policy advised employees to tell their manager “as soon as possible” if they can’t attend work. BrightHR’s review found that wording is too vague to manage consistently, particularly when start times, shift patterns, or business-critical roles are involved.
Gemma O’Connor recommends policies spell out a clear timeframe, such as requiring contact by the employee’s start time, because individual interpretations of “earliest opportunity” can vary widely.
BrightHR also highlighted operational basics that were missing, including: who to contact if a manager is unavailable, whether texts are acceptable, and whether third-party notifications (like a colleague calling in) are permitted.
“We don’t specify if text messages are acceptable. In my opinion, it should always be a phone call,” said O’Connor. “Highlighting that text messages or notifications by a third party aren’t acceptable is really important.”
Finding 2: Trigger points without fair procedure can expose employers
The AI policy included a “formal warning threshold” stating that after a third absence in a rolling 12 months, the employee “will be issued a formal warning.”
Gemma O’Connor warns that this can encourage employers to treat disciplinary action as automatic, rather than contingent on a fair, thorough process and the circumstances of each case.
Gemma O’Connor noted that if an employer relies on this AI wording quite literally, for example, issuing a warning without adequate notice, investigation or process, it can increase legal risk if matters escalate.
Finding 3: AI writes what you ask for, not what you need
BrightHR’s analysis suggests the core limitation wasn’t that the AI couldn’t write clear sentences. It was that it did exactly what it was asked, without considering the broader HR and legal context that makes a policy workable.
This includes ensuring policies align with:
· the employer’s other procedures
· consistency across the organisation
· relevant legislation and established practice in the business
AI-generated HR documentation needs expert human review
BrightHR emphasises that AI can still be a net positive for HR, if used with guardrails and human oversight.
“AI being used in HR is definitely a positive. It can support us working smarter, but we have to be cautious and make sure that anyone that is using AI within the business has the appropriate training and awareness,” said O’Connor.
BrightHR recommends employers get any HR documentation, whether generated by AI or not, reviewed by a human expert in employment law.
The company shares tips for using AI in HR:
1. Treat AI drafts as a starting point, not a finished policy: Build in specifics (timeframes, escalation routes, reporting channels).
2. Embed fair process into any “trigger point” rules: Ensure the policy reflects investigation, notice, meetings, and individual circumstances.
3. Align AI‑generated content to your existing documentation: Tone, language, and cross‑references should match other policies and procedures.
4. Check against legislation and real workplace practice: AI may not reflect what’s appropriate or accurate for your organisation.
5. Train anyone using AI for HR tasks: Build awareness of risks, including decision-making concerns and potential discriminatory impacts in some use cases.
For more information about BrightHR use the contact details below:
Contact Info:
Name: Miriam Payne
Email: Send Email
Organization: BrightHR
Address: Bright HR Limited, The Peninsula, Victoria Place, Manchester, M4 4FB
Phone: +44 (0)7929 711809
Website: https://www.brighthr.com/
Release ID: 89201679
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