Compliance Training for Employees: Examples, Types and Challenges

Would you want your company to face fines and legal troubles because it is not compliant with certain regulations? The answer is certainly no, which is why launching a compliance training program is so critical. With several regulatory authorities overseeing businesses and various industry standards, staying compliant isn’t a choice but a necessity. 

Compliance training can be a bit tricky to understand, so we have developed a detailed guide on what it is, why you should adopt it, and how to create training modules following the best practices for maximum impact. 

What is Compliance Training? 

Before we discuss the types and examples of compliance training, it is crucial to understand what it is. 

A compliance training program refers to educating existing and new employees about the rules, laws, and regulations related to their jobs and the industry they are working in. It also includes training them about the internal policies of your company. After thorough compliance training, employees know how and why they should follow certain rules and regulations. 

Compliance training usually begins during the first or second week of onboarding, even before an employee's actual work begins. Some firms also require contractors and workers to take ongoing compliance courses as regulations and internal policies evolve. These courses can happen once or several times a year, depending upon changes in internal policies, regulations, and the like. 

Importance of Compliance Training Program

Why should a company implement compliance training, and what benefits does it offer? Let’s help you with it. 

1. Reduces the Non-Compliance Risk 

Compliance training is essential to ensure that the firm follows all the laws, policies, and regulations relevant to its business. Companies that fail to maintain compliance can incur substantial fines. According to research, a non-compliant firm pays $14.8 million annually on average, 45% higher than it had to pay in 2011. 

Companies can also keep a detailed record of their previous training sessions, which helps them monitor the following:

• Areas where employees are most compliant 
• Details about the last training session, such as date, duration, attendees, and the like 
• Topics that were discussed and overdue topics 
• Various areas where employees are non-compliant 

With a detailed record, companies and their employees know which courses they have completed and which courses they still must complete to stay compliant.

2. Creates an Inclusive and Safe Workplace for Everyone 

Compliance employee training defines which behaviors are acceptable in a workplace. When a company trains its employees on how to act and behave with other staff members, it can prevent bullying, harassment, inappropriate jokes, and the like. Based on the training, companies can roll out internal behavioral policies that every staff member must adhere to. 

It is also crucial for the management and leadership to undergo compliance training, as it helps them understand issues like harassment, intimidation, and discrimination. It allows them to appreciate various situations and creates a platform where employees can share their experiences comfortably. 

The numbers speak for themselves regarding inclusivity: Deloitte says companies that promote inclusivity and diversity experience 39% better customer satisfaction. Similarly, a report by the Peterson Institute of International Economics says including more women in leadership positions leads to higher profitability. 

3. Protects Sensitive Data 

In today’s digital age, companies deal with massive amounts of data, including their internal information and the customer information they regularly handle. Around 94% of companies have reported email security incidents, an alarming statistic.

Therefore, it becomes a critical responsibility to protect that information from fraudulent third parties and hackers. Companies can train their employees to prevent data fraud with various tools, such as two-factor authentication, permission controls, and the like. It not only protects valuable data but also gives you a competitive edge over other companies that do not take data security seriously. 

4. Builds Reputation and Boosts Sales 

Sure, high-quality products are crucial to a company’s reputation, but is it actually enough? Companies must adhere to ethical and compliant practices for customers to keep buying from them. For instance, 71% of customers say companies must deal with suppliers that ethically source their materials.

Similarly, investors are also more comfortable spending on a company that doesn’t indulge in foul practices. Businesses that adhere to standard industry practices are more likely to offer excellent products, leading to satisfied customers and more sales. 

Compliance Training Examples and Types 

Let’s explore the various types of compliance training and the relevant employee training materials that can help companies maintain a lawful and ethical working environment. 

1. OSHA Compliance Training Program

OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an organization that works under the United States Department of Labor. Its mission is to ensure safe and healthy workplaces for American workers. 

Training employees on various safety standards and practices not only makes the workplace legally compliant, it also leads to fewer accidents and less financial burden. The primary purpose of OSHA training is to make both employers and employees aware of their responsibilities and rights to create safe workplaces. 

OSHA has various resources and training programs for employees, including:

• Outreach Training Program: It is a voluntary program that involves the identification and prevention of workplace hazards.
• Hazard Communication Training: Also called HazCom, it is considered essential for workers who deal with hazardous chemicals. It includes training them on chemical labels, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and more. 
• Emergency Response Training: This training prepares workers for various emergencies, such as spills, fires, and swift evacuation. 

2. Diversity Compliance Training Program

Diversity training is crucial to creating more inclusive workplaces by educating employees on cultural preferences and sensitivities, better communication skills, empathy, and the like. It helps employees from various backgrounds to assimilate into new environments, enhances teamwork, and makes everyone respect cultural differences while working together. 

3. Anti-Harassment Compliance Training Program 

According to the International Labor Organization, more than one in five employees (23%) have experienced physical, psychological, and sexual harassment at their workplace. Only half of those harassed share it with others, and only after they experience more than one form of harassment. Workplace harassment isn’t just unethical; it also makes a workplace less productive because an employee getting harassed cannot offer their best. 

Anti-harassment training has a holistic educational approach, including the following elements:

• What constitutes harassment?
• How to report if someone’s harassing you?
• Bystander training to report if someone else is getting harassed. 
• Legal implications of harassment.

This training often involves real-world examples to really help employees understand this important issue. 

4. Data/Information Security Compliance Training Program

Protecting sensitive information through comprehensive security training should be a top priority for any business. This training involves the risks associated with data breaches and how they can be mitigated. Key aspects of information security training include:

• Data Protection Principles: Any information security training program should start with the basics: what constitutes sensitive information, legal requirements for handling personal information, and understanding the laws regarding sensitive information, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
• Cybersecurity Best Practices: It involves educating employees about various security threats, such as phishing, ransomware, and malware, and how to prevent them using safe networks, secure passwords, and other actions. 

• Incident Response: If a data breach occurs, employees should be trained on the most apt responses in those situations and prevent further damage. 
• Continuous Awareness: Cybersecurity threats keep evolving and criminals attack data with new techniques, so it is crucial to keep employees updated with new security protocols and standards. A single lapse can lead to a massive data breach, which is financially and reputationally crippling for any company.

5. Section 508 and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Training Programs

Section 508 compliance training revolves around Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act, which details the minimum levels of accessibility for people with cognitive, sensory, and physical disabilities.

Although it is meant for Federal agencies, if your company deals with them, such as selling them software, you might have to submit a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). It is a document that provides details about your product and confirms that it is compliant with Section 508.

If you are not dealing with Federal agencies, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is what you should worry about instead. It prevents companies from making discriminatory decisions against people with disabilities. ADA compliance training involves educating managers and employees on accommodating disabled people. 

Physical compliance with ADA can look like:

• Wheelchair ramps where needed
• Accessible parking spaces 
• Accessible restrooms
• Handrails for walkways 

Beyond these physical aspects, the ADA compliance training program covers topics such as anti-discriminatory conversations, regular career advancement for abled colleagues, not making disability a reason for termination, and more. Managers must also take an equal and active part in ADA compliance training because they make important decisions. 

6. Healthcare Compliance Training Program 

Companies working in the healthcare sector must adhere to certain rules and regulations, which ensure an equitable and safe healthcare environment for everyone. Some of the most important legal frameworks regarding healthcare include the Healthcare Insurance Policy and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Physician Self-Referral Law or the Stark Law, and the False Claims Act. 

This training revolves around ethical conduct in the healthcare sector and fulfilling legal obligations so that companies adhere to quality healthcare and avoid legal problems. Even if one employee is found breaching the law, the company is held responsible. Since healthcare regulations evolve with the changing real-world requirements, organizations must provide ongoing employee training. 

7. Environmental Compliance Training Program

Industries with significant environmental impact, such as petroleum, chemicals, and manufacturing, must provide adequate environmental compliance training to employees. 

This training includes educating employees about various laws and regulations, such as the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), and the EU Environmental Laws. Employees should be introduced to the purpose behind these regulations, how they are implemented, penalties if they are not followed, and the like. 

Companies that fail to provide this crucial training end up paying hefty fines. For instance, the St. Marines Lumber Company was recently fined $225,000 for violations of the Clean Water Act. 

8. HR Compliance Training for Employees 

The focus of HR compliance training is the HR department: how it handles the employee-employer relationship, deals with complaints, maintains records, and more. This training educates employees about their rights as employees, minimum wage, and overtime pay established in the Wages and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

Educating employees about standard HR practices also means your organization keeps following the labor laws to avoid penalties. 

Best Practices for Implementing Compliance Training 

Here are some of the best tips and practices to implement compliance training in your company.

1. Employ Technology 

Technology can make it much easier for you to implement a compliance training program, improve employee access, and make it much more engaging for them. Today, the best interactive e-learning software allows you to design elaborate courses, pair them up with a 24/7 AI assistant, create relevant quizzes, and much more. 

These e-learning compliance training platforms also make it much easier to update courses by adding new materials, sharing them with teams on the go, and tracking who has completed them.

2. Make it Engaging 

Learning should be fun to keep people engaged, and the same principle applies to the compliance training program. 

• You can utilize microlearning to provide lessons in small chunks instead of making employees read for hours on end.
• Instead of using technical jargon that puts people off, use simple and fun language that employees instantly understand. 
• Make it interactive using quizzes, videos, infographics, animations, and the like. 

3. Use Real-Life Examples 

Real-life examples not only make employee compliance training more engaging but also inspire employees to take action. You can ask them to act out various scenarios in a risk-free environment and prepare for any future mishaps in advance. 

4. Encourage Accountability 

Try to include a strong element of accountability in the compliance training program so that your employees know how crucial it is. Assign accountability duties to a few team members to keep a check on their colleagues. Also, encourage anonymous reporting in the organization so that problems like sexual harassment aren’t left unaddressed.  

Conclusion 

Compliance training is critical to inform workers about the laws and regulations they must adhere to at the workplace. Without it, even the most well-meaning employees will likely make costly mistakes, leading to fines, litigation, license cancellations, and even shutdowns. 

That is why it is crucial to design a robust compliance training program using a platform like Coursebox, the best compliance training software. Powered by AI, our advanced platform makes your training engaging and interactive without compromising the finer details. 

Want an AI Quiz Generator? Check. Want an AI assistant to answer questions 24/7? Check. Need to access the course on a smartphone? Also, check. These and many other features make Coursebox a powerful e-learning hub that helps you convey all the important information in a modern and engaging way. 

FAQs: Compliance Training Program

What does OSHA compliance training mean? 

OSHA compliance training program comes from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure compliance with its rules and regulations. The program involves information about general safety, emergency response, and the like. 

How do you provide compliance training? 

To provide quality compliance training, an organization must first understand the relevant laws and regulations applicable to it. After that, it should educate employees about those regulations through an engaging compliance training program.

What does basic compliance training include? 

Basic compliance training includes educating employees on workplace ethics, diversity, anti-harassment, environmental laws, and the like. 

What are the seven key elements of compliance training?

Here are the seven elements of an effective compliance training program:

1. Written procedures and conduct standards
2. Compliance officer with a compliance committee
3. Quality training 
4. Open communication lines
5. Internal monitoring and audits 
6. Publicized disciplinary guidelines to enforce standards 
7. Prompt response to breaches and immediate corrective action

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