Automated Reminder Schedules
PolicySuite sends automated reminder emails to employees who haven't yet acknowledged a policy. The default schedule is designed to keep completion rates high without overwhelming employees with email. This article explains the default cadence, how to customise it, and how manager notifications work.
Default reminder schedule
When you send a distribution, PolicySuite automatically schedules the following sequence for every employee who has not yet acknowledged:
- Day 1 — Initial distribution email with the magic link.
- Day 3 — First reminder. A polite nudge referencing the original email.
- Day 7 — Second reminder with added urgency, noting the upcoming deadline.
- Day 10 — Manager notification. The employee's direct manager receives an email listing their direct reports who still haven't completed the policy.
- Day 14 — Final escalation. The manager receives a second notification flagging persistent non-completers for direct intervention.
All reminders are sent only to employees who have not yet acknowledged. As soon as an employee completes and acknowledges the policy, they are removed from the reminder sequence automatically.
Configuring reminders
The default schedule works for most distributions, but you can adjust it per distribution:
- Go to Distributions in the sidebar and open the relevant distribution.
- Click the Reminders tab.
- Toggle individual reminders on or off, change the send day, or edit the email subject and body for each reminder.
- Save your changes. PolicySuite will reschedule any pending reminders immediately.
Changes only affect reminders that have not yet been sent. Reminders already delivered cannot be recalled.
Manager notifications
The Day 10 notification emails each manager a list of their direct reports who have not yet acknowledged the policy. Managers are determined by the org chart configured in Settings > Team. If an employee has no manager assigned, the notification is sent to the organisation admin instead.
The notification email includes each non-completer's name, the policy name, and the number of days elapsed since distribution. Managers do not need a PolicySuite account to receive this email — it is informational only.
Why not to send daily reminders
It may seem like more reminders would produce higher completion rates. In practice, daily emails have the opposite effect: they train employees to treat them as low-priority noise, which leads to higher unsubscribe rates and no improvement in acknowledgement. The default 3/7/10 schedule is spaced to maintain urgency without creating fatigue. If you need faster turnaround, shorten the deadline rather than increasing reminder frequency.
Stopping reminders
Reminders stop automatically for each employee the moment they acknowledge the policy. You do not need to take any action. If you want to stop the entire reminder sequence for a distribution (for example, if a policy is being superseded), open the Reminders tab and toggle all reminders off.
Custom reminder copy
For high-stakes policies such as an Acceptable Use Policy or Code of Conduct, consider customising the reminder email subject and body. A specific, direct subject line — for example, "Action required: Acceptable Use Policy acknowledgement due Friday" — consistently outperforms generic reminders. The Reminders tab gives you full control over the text of each email in the sequence.
Still need help?
Email our support team at support@policy-suite.com — we typically respond within 24 hours.