12 TIPS FOR CREATING THE BEST COMPLIANCE TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES

Compliance training for employees is an essential aspect of workers’ education, designed to ensure that an organization’s employees adhere to legal standards and internal policies that govern behavior and actions in the workplace.  Employee compliance training mitigates risks by preventing legal issues, promoting safety, and cultivating a culture of transparency and responsibility.  In this article, we explore why compliance training for employees, in particular, is crucial, delve into typical topics covered, and provide 12 practical tips for developing effective compliance training for employees.

What Is Employee Compliance Training?

Compliance training educates employees on the laws and regulations applicable to their jobs.  Mandated by law in many sectors, it is critical for maintaining an organization’s legal and ethical standards.  It involves instructing employees on complying with statutory obligations and company policies, such as workplace safety, data protection, and financial regulations.

Examples Of Employee Compliance Training Programs

Below are examples of standard employee compliance training programs for small and medium sized corporate entities, Non-Profits, Universities And Colleges, and Government Agencies.

SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises)

• Data Protection and Privacy: SMEs handling customer or client data should provide training on data protection laws, such as the GDPR (Europe), PIPEDA (Canada), and CCPA/CDPA (United States).
• Workplace Health and Safety: Essential for ensuring employees understand how to maintain a safe working environment.
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML): Relevant for SMEs in the finance sector, focusing on preventing money laundering practices.

Non-Profit Organizations

• Ethics and Conduct: Training on ethical behavior and conduct aligning with the non-profit’s mission.
• Grant Compliance: Essential for employees involved in obtaining and managing grants, ensuring adherence to grant conditions.
• Volunteer Training: Many non-profits rely on volunteers. Compliance training for volunteers ensures they understand their roles, the non-profit’s policies, and how to report concerns.

Universities and Colleges

Discrimination And Harassment: Training on preventing discrimination and harassment on campus, ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all students and staff.  For example, title IX compliance (United States).

Research Compliance: Important for institutions involved in research, covering areas such as human subject research, laboratory safety, and data management.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA in the US, Privacy and Freedom of Information in Canada): Training for staff to maintain student education records’ privacy.

Government Agencies

Ethics and Integrity Training: Employees must understand the ethical standards and integrity expected in public service.

Information Security and Cybersecurity: Employees must receive training in protecting information assets, given the sensitivity of data handled by government agencies.

Procurement and Contract Management: Training focused on ensuring employees understand the laws and regulations governing the government’s procurement of goods and services.

Employee compliance training is crucial to an organization’s operations, regardless of size or sector.  Customizing the training to the organization’s specific needs and risks ensures that employees are well-informed and equipped to perform their duties under relevant laws and regulations.

Why Employee Compliance Training Is Important

The significance of compliance training extends beyond merely meeting legal requirements.  Effective compliance training for employees should have benefits outside of preventing violations that could lead to costly fines or legal disputes.  At a minimum, it should protect your organization’s brand and reputation.  However, it should also enhance your workplace culture and empower employees with knowledge and skills.

Customizing your training to your specific circumstances is critical in achieving these higher-level outcomes.

12 Tips for Creating Highly Effective Compliance Training For Employees

Below are 12 tips for creating highly effective compliance training for employees.  Depending on your circumstances, needs, and resources, some or all of these tips could be incorporated into your compliance training program.

1.   Assess Employee Compliance Training Needs

Understand the specific compliance requirements of your industry and the roles within your organization. Tailor your employee compliance training to meet these needs effectively.  Know your audience and design the training for them, and not for the content.  For instance, consider creating a podcast, webcomic, or another type of product instead of a typical elearning course, if that fits your culture, brand, and needs.

2.    Set Clear Learning Objectives

Before designing your training program, define clear, measurable learning objectives.  What should employees be able to do after completing the training?

3.   Make it Relevant

Customize content to reflect your employees’ daily experiences and challenges. Relevant scenarios help to engage learners and improve retention.  Don’t make them take the same training every year.  When you build your compliance training for employees, create a bank of scenarios they can learn from.  Then randomize the situations that they would practice in.  It’s a little more expensive up front but has a longer shelf life and engages the learner.  Also, consider a pre-test at the start of the training course, especially for annual refresher courses.  It allows those people who are knowledgable to ‘test out’ of parts of the training where they demonstrate competency.

4.   Use Varied Employee Compliance Training Methods

Incorporate a mix of training methods such as e-learning, workshops, and simulations.  This variety can cater to different compliance topics and increase engagement.

5.  Keep Content Up-To-Date

Regularly update training materials to reflect the latest legal changes and industry best practices.  This ensures ongoing compliance and relevance.

6.   Encourage Interactive Learning

Interactive elements such as quizzes, discussions, and group activities can enhance understanding and retention of compliance issues.  Also, decide whether to make the employee compliance training short and simple or invest more to make it compelling.

7.   Utilize Technology

Leverage modern e-learning technologies to deliver flexible, accessible training solutions. Online platforms can provide interactive and personalized learning experiences.  Perhaps consider using artificial intelligence to help create content for topics that are not industry-specific.

8.   Provide Continuous Education

Compliance training for employees isn’t a one-time event.  Offer ongoing training to keep pace with changes in laws and regulations and to reinforce compliance concepts.  Think like a marketer and create a campaign with posters, job aides, competitions, and other activities to reinforce the concepts from the training.

9.   Monitor And Evaluate

Regularly assess the effectiveness of your training program.  Use feedback and performance analysis to identify areas for improvement.

10.   Promote A Compliance Culture

Foster an organizational culture that values compliance through regular communication, leadership examples, and recognition of compliant behaviors.  Celebrate people who do the correct behaviors or make the right decisions; don’t just tell people what not to do.

11. Ensure Accessibility

Make sure that training materials are accessible to all employees.  Consider language, format, and delivery methods to accommodate diverse needs.

12.   Document Training Efforts

Keep detailed records of training activities, completion, and assessments.  This documentation can be crucial for proving compliance in audits or legal challenges.

Final Thoughts On Employee Compliance Training

Compliance training for employees doesn’t need to be dull.  By following these tips, organizations can create practical and engaging compliance training for employees that meets legal requirements and promotes an ethical, informed, and safety-conscious workplace culture that empowers employees.  For further insights and assistance in developing the best employee compliance training solutions, visit Spark + Co at www.sparkandco.ca, where we blend expertise with innovation to inspire your organization.