Q. "What should we do if an employee violates a policy they say they didn't know about?"
Answer:
This is a tough question and actually very common. The first thing to do is to check if this policy is written out clearly somewhere. If so, determine if it was distributed to the employee and when. Then ask:
Was there any sort of acknowledgment signed by the employee indicating they received the policy (or handbook that contains the policy)?
Does the acknowledgment indicate they are responsible for reading/knowing the information they received?
Has anything been changed since they originally received the policy?
Are other employees aware of this policy?
The severity of the violated policy and the previous track record of the employee also helps you determine what your course of action should be for the specific violation.
Regardless of the outcome, we would recommend redistributing the policy to all employees so everyone is aware of it and understands the expectation. This could look like posting the policy in the breakroom, sending it out via email, or distributing a whole new handbook. This may be a good time to review or redistribute all of your policies, as well.
Ultimately, if there is no clear record they received the policy, consider giving them the benefit of the doubt and assume they really didn’t know about it, even if you feel they should have. Finally, let them know further violations may result in discipline.