Handling someone who ignores company policies

Problem

A common problem in all the companies I have worked for is employees not respecting company policies. Every company has its own policies that communicate its expectations of its employees. For example, "Come to the company by X o'clock" or "Don't spend over $Y per meal". But what do you do when employees consistently ignore these types of policies?

Actions taken

I have tried many different approaches. For instance, I once tried to coach an employee who was consistently late by brainstorming with him about how he could arrive on time. I also once tried to coach another employee who took a personal sick day to take care of his pet. It turned out to be ineffective because ignoring the company's policy is a mindset problem, not a skill set problem. It's not that the employee doesn't know how to spend less than $Y per meal. The employee simply doesn't want to. The most effective way of handling this kind of situation is pointing it out directly. Lessons learned If an employee ignores your company's policy, I would suggest not overreacting, and instead, pointing it out directly, straight away. This ensures you are very transparent. Don't coach your employees, as this will not only not be helpful, it could also be counterproductive. More generally, before deciding on what to do if there is a problem with an employee, determine whether the employee has a mindset problem or a skill set problem.