Compliance often feels like a boring topic. However, it is just another box to check before your employee can return to the real work.
Compliance training is a mandatory component of employee onboarding that every business needs to be aware of. It is an important part of regular office policy and can help protect your company from legal concerns.
I want to show you how compliance can be more fun than tedious. Whether it’s employee orientation or regulatory training, giving people an enjoyable learning experience doesn’t have to be more work for you.
Compliance training covers all employees need to know to fulfill their jobs. It is a legal requirement in some countries and helps your business avoid severe fines.
Having new employees and not sure what compliance training to give them? Read this article.
What is compliance training?
Compliance training refers to educating your employees on the laws and regulations that affect your organization.
Done early and often, compliance training can help your team build a culture of ethics and trust from the start.
Doing business today means companies are grappling daily with new and ever-changing regulations. All employers must comply with various federal and state employment laws, regardless of industry.
Training employees on these laws is an important part of the onboarding process.
This helps ensure that you and your employees understand what’s expected of them and can prevent costly legal issues.
What Are the Objectives of Compliance Training?
1. Create better workplace environments
Suppose you are developing a program because you think that some employees are engaging in conduct that is inconsistent with company policy.
In that case, your objective is to create a better workplace environment.
The purpose of a compliance training program is to educate employees about the company’s policy and reinforce expected behaviors.
It would cover workplace issues such as harassment prevention, workplace violence prevention, and ethical conduct.
2. Make sure employees know their responsibilities
So you’ve onboarded a new employee who’s joining your team. They’ll need your help to understand the ins and outs of working at your company and compliance training covering their industry’s unique regulations.
Compliance training is a requirement that engages employees. It provides a chance to review specific rules, roles, and responsibilities during onboarding.
This helps them understand their role in the organization and ensures they comply with regulations.
3. Protect the organization from legal liabilities
Today, organizations need to be more aware of industry-specific regulatory requirements. Knowing the rules is a win-win situation for you and your organization.
Compliance training can advance your career by protecting your organization from legal liability and providing guidelines for success.
4. Teach how to uphold laws and policies
One of the most important goals of compliance training is to teach employees how to uphold the laws and policies that govern their company.
It will also allow them to be better prepared to identify risks and respond appropriately. Compliance training is critical in the business industry to help protect both your employees and the company from legal ramifications.
5. Ensure safety and security
As a business, you can help ensure staff safety, health, and well-being through compliance training.
This is designed to educate employees on laws, regulations, and standards that protect environments, customers, and internal systems.
This not only makes good business sense, but it often improves the company’s reputation.
A Few Examples of Compliance Training
1. Work diversity
Compliance training is important for any business with new employees or a large employee turnover. As world demographics change, the employee workforce is changing too.
The best way to avoid issues surrounding harassment and discrimination in the workplace is to conduct ongoing diversity training.
As an employee, you must work in harmony with other team members. Employers foster a safe workplace for employees with zero tolerance for discrimination in the workplace.
2. Federal and state laws
Compliance training is one of the most important things your business can do to stay on the right side of the law.
All employees of the company must be aware of federal and state laws. When you comply with federal and state laws, you don’t have to worry about paying fines you may not afford.
3. Work ethics
Employee compliance training helps new employees understand the ground rules of your business.
Work ethics compliance training addresses job duties, permissible workplace conduct, company policies and practices, and the responsibilities of employees.
It provides a firm foundation of workplace expectations, which helps prevent problems later. And it sets the stage for additional types of training.
4. Corruption and money laundering
Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power. Money laundering is the process of moving illegal proceeds through legitimate business channels.
Today, businesses are expected to strictly enforce money laundering compliance rules and regulations.
Money laundering is a serious crime; it is the United States Treasury Department’s job to ensure that businesses follow the rules. However, the rules can be challenging, so you must get the right training.
5. Harassment
The training states that harassment is forbidden and will not be tolerated.
An individual is harassed if their gender, race, color, religion, national origin, or another protection creates a hostile or intimidating environment.
It also cautions against retaliation against people who complain about possible harassment.
As an employer, you must prepare new employees for a productive and safe work experience. Put an end to harassment, discrimination, and bullying in the workplace.
6. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity matters to every business, no matter the size. But it can be difficult to know where to start and which laws apply to your business.
Training or compliance programs are the best solution to ensure your business is secure.
Cybersecurity training can help companies raise employee awareness or emphasize the importance of training for those whose data is at risk.
Cybersecurity training will introduce topics like how hackers gain access, how incidents can be identified, and what to do when a breach occurs.
7. HR compliance training
I know the thought of HR compliance training can make some eyes glaze over. But when it’s broken down into individual topics and delivered in a simple, fun way, compliance training becomes a no-brainer.
In HR compliance training, employees learn about workplace laws, policies, and regulations. It also covers the laws and regulations employers need to know to create a workplace that respects all employees.
HR professionals can help employees learn how to avoid discrimination and harassment in the workplace, manage employee records, and comply with federal and state employment laws.
8. OSHA training
OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Authority. Its goal is to assure safe and healthy working conditions for every working man and woman in the United States.
OSHA training is required for any job that has what is called a “hazardous atmosphere.” OSHA requires workers who are exposed to chemicals or work at heights of more than six feet to complete training.
Similarly, any job involving machines that could be hazardous requires OSHA training for the worker.
The OSHA training course is a one-time class that can last as little as 4 hours or as many as 8 hours. The worker will learn about the hazards he is exposed to and how to prevent them.
What Would Be the Best Tips for Compliance Training?
If this is your first compliance program and you don’t know where to begin, here are the best compliance training tips.
These are proven steps that will get you off to a good start. Most programs fail at the beginning due to poor planning, so ensure you do it right.
1. Determine the legislation or regulations that your company must comply with
Whether it is health and safety, data protection, or conflict resolution, there is a considerable range of legislation and regulations to comply with.
The first step in creating a successful compliance training program is identifying the legislation you need to comply with.
You need to understand the compliance training requirements your company must follow, then plan and document the steps you will take to meet those requirements.
2. Use a gamification strategy
Turn boring corporate compliance training into a fun game. The best way to get your employees to comply with new rules and regulations is to make their experience interactive and unforgettable.
An interactive training course is excellent if your goal is to educate employees on safety protocols and regulations.
You could use short videos, animations, and pictures to explain things in a fun way. The Gamification strategy is also beneficial because it helps employees to stay engaged and excited about learning.
3. Leverage digital technologies
Compliance and ethics training often fall short due to too much content, a boring format, a lack of validation, and outdated information.
The solution is to leverage digital technologies to create modern learning experiences for your employees. Investing in a blended learning solution.
Compliance training has never been easier with the technology we now have at our fingertips.
If an organization uses an online platform to provide employees with content, they can learn at their own pace and, ideally, apply what they learn in real-time.
This provides transparency that allows the entire organization to improve, not just individuals at various workstations.
4. Reference real-life examples
One of the best tips for compliance training is to reference real-life examples. Don’t just tell your employees about an audit or investigation and explain what’s involved in that process.
Show them. An employee publication that details a terrible incident is much more effective than telling them what could happen if they don’t follow the rules.
5. Pay attention to detail
Compliance training is mandatory in most workplaces. Corporate compliance training must also ensure employees are aware of the importance of compliance and its facets.
But even after getting certified, people can make mistakes or misjudge the risk of new situations.
It is important to pay careful attention to what is being taught for compliance training. Not paying attention can result in misunderstanding laws, policies, rules, and procedures.
This can lead to employee and company violations, resulting in fines and lawsuits. Do your best to avoid them.
FAQs
What are the benefits of compliance training?
Regular training on your organization’s policies and procedures results in happier and more productive employees.
Furthermore, it demonstrates your company’s commitment to compliance and provides best-practice guidance and training to staff, creating a culture of integrity.
How is compliance training different from other types of training?
While most training focuses on teaching employees how to perform their jobs, compliance training is much more specific. It teaches employees what they need to know to work within the company and legally do their job.
How do employers ensure compliance in the workplace?
The best way to ensure compliance in the workplace is for employers to educate their employees on compliance legalities. Also, they should provide training to help employees understand their rights as workers.
Final Thoughts
Compliance training is the most time-efficient and effective method for covering the dos and don’ts of your company’s policies.
Compliance training has always been a necessity for keeping your business legally compliant.
When it comes to compliance training, it’s no longer seen as just a “must-have.”
Instead, it’s a way to make the workplace a safe and open place for employees to share ideas and opinions freely.
This article should help your business make the most of this fundamental training.
In addition, some training is mandatory for employees. For more information, see the article highlighting the top training programs every employee must undergo.
Thanks for reading.
