Workplace compliance training refers to the process of educating employees about the laws, regulations, policies, and procedures that govern their conduct within the workplace. The primary objective of workplace compliance training is to ensure that employees understand their legal and ethical responsibilities and adhere to relevant rules and guidelines.
Key aspects of workplace compliance training include:
Legal Compliance
This involves training employees on laws and regulations that are relevant to their roles and the industry in which they operate. This may include topics such as anti-discrimination laws, workplace safety regulations, data protection laws (such as GDPR or HIPAA), labor laws, and industry-specific regulations.
Ethical Conduct
Workplace compliance training often includes education on ethical behavior and decision-making. Employees may receive guidance on topics such as conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption, confidentiality, and proper use of company resources.
Company Policies and Procedures
Employees are trained on internal policies, procedures, and guidelines established by the organization. This may include policies related to harassment and discrimination, code of conduct, cybersecurity protocols, health and safety procedures, and social media usage policies.
Risk Management
Compliance training may also cover risk management practices to help employees identify and mitigate potential risks within the workplace. This could involve training on recognizing signs of fraud, cybersecurity threats, or other risks that could harm the organization.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Employees are educated about the consequences of non-compliance, including potential legal penalties, financial losses, damage to the organization's reputation, and disciplinary actions.
Effective workplace compliance training programs are typically tailored to the specific needs and risks of the organization and its industry. Training methods may include in-person workshops, online courses delivered through a Learning Management System (LMS), seminars, videos, role-playing exercises, and assessments to ensure comprehension and retention of the material.
Regular and ongoing compliance training is essential to keep employees informed about changes in regulations, company policies, and best practices, and to reinforce a culture of compliance throughout the organization.
Eight Types of Workplace Compliance Training Programs
Workplace compliance training programs can cover a wide range of topics depending on the specific needs of the organization, industry regulations, and legal requirements.
Here are eight types of workplace compliance training programs:
Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Training: This type of training educates employees about laws and company policies regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace. It covers topics such as recognizing and reporting inappropriate behavior, understanding protected characteristics, and promoting a respectful work environment.
Diversity and Inclusion Training: Diversity and inclusion training aims to foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation for differences among employees. It addresses topics such as unconscious bias, cultural competence, inclusive language, and creating a diverse and welcoming workplace.
Data Protection and Privacy Training: With the increasing importance of data privacy regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), data protection and privacy training programs educate employees on handling sensitive information securely, data breach prevention, and compliance with relevant regulations.
Ethics and Code of Conduct Training: Ethics and code of conduct training programs outline the ethical standards and expectations for employee behavior within the organization. They cover topics such as conflicts of interest, integrity, honesty, confidentiality, and proper use of company resources.
Workplace Health and Safety Training: Workplace health and safety training programs focus on educating employees about safety protocols, hazard identification, emergency procedures, ergonomics, and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations or other relevant health and safety standards.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training: In today's digital age, cybersecurity awareness training is essential to educate employees about cybersecurity threats, phishing scams, malware, password security, data encryption, and best practices for protecting sensitive information.
Compliance with Industry Regulations: Certain industries have specific regulations and standards that organizations must adhere to, such as FDA regulations for pharmaceutical companies, financial regulations for banks and financial institutions, or environmental regulations for manufacturing companies. Compliance training programs in these industries focus on educating employees about industry-specific regulations and ensuring compliance with relevant standards.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption Training: Organizations operating internationally or in industries prone to bribery and corruption risks may provide training on anti-bribery laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) or the UK Bribery Act. This training aims to prevent bribery and corruption, raise awareness of red flags, and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
These are just a few examples of workplace compliance training programs. The specific types of training required will vary depending on factors such as industry, regulatory environment, organizational culture, and identified risks.
Organizations often develop a comprehensive compliance training program that addresses multiple areas of compliance to ensure that employees have the knowledge and skills necessary to uphold legal and ethical standards in the workplace.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
We provide outsourced course development services to repurpose existing digital content to create effective eLearning courses.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make the LMS Portals platform the ideal solution for your workplace compliance training programs.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages