A Quick N' Easy Guide to HR Compliance Training for Business Owners
HR compliance training is one HR trend that is crucial for your company, regardless of its size. Not only does it help you remain on the right side of the law, but it also helps you save money (check out our compliance checklist for HR representatives so you can stay on top of the law!)
In fact, the Ponemon Institute and Globalscape discovered in a recent study that:
- Being compliant can positively impact your company's bottom line, as you're avoiding hefty fines and losses due to business disruption.
- Being non-compliant is 2.71 times more costly than meeting compliance requirements
- Costs of non-compliance among organizations skyrocketed to $14 million in 2018
Taking HR compliance training can help your employees comply with the ever-changing HR laws and regulations. In this article, we'll demystify HR compliance training, and explain how it can benefit your organization.
What Is HR Compliance?
HR Compliance refers to the process of aligning workplace procedures with state and federal regulations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Employers have to be educated on what is considered a HIPAA, COBRA, or OSHA fine and violation.
Compliance should feature in every facet of your business operations -- from hiring employees, implementing office rules, to monitoring employee activities. There should also be internal company Human resources compliance laws that your workers should follow.
That said, only knowing these policies isn't enough; you should educate employees on them.
What is HR Compliance Training?
HR compliance training is the process of educating staff members on the policies and laws that affect their day-to-day workplace roles. It helps prevent your organization from violating the law and passing the audit for HR compliance, among other workplace problems.
Note, though, that workplace compliance requirements keep changing year to year. Keeping up with them and the constant updates -- on top of updating the necessary business documents and contracts -- can be exhausting. That's where HR Compliance training comes into play.
You can trust a company like EasyLlama to provide training that not only helps your employees become compliant but also remain that way.
What is the Purpose of Compliance Training?
The main reason why you should provide training to your staff is to make sure that they understand their compliance responsibilities. Other reasons include:
It creates a positive workplace culture
HR compliance training empowers your employees to carry out their daily tasks with assurance, helping them focus on doing their best work. It also enables them to identify any potential violations. This way, they're more likely to report any cases when they arise.
With effective training, you can even retain your most valued employees. Compliance training enables staff to feel safer at work. And as you're well aware, a safe workplace improves morale, consequently increasing retention levels.
It protects you from hefty penalties
Too often, a violation occurs when an employee is unaware of the regulations. And these violations can set you back truckloads of dollars, attracting heavy fines from the relevant bodies.
Human resources compliance training gives your workers the tools and knowledge necessary to comply with state and federal requirements and regulations.
It helps prevent your reputation from getting tarnished
When you fail to comply with regulations, you risk attracting public scrutiny that can jeopardize your organization's reputation. Building trust again with your customers can be a complicated affair.
That's why training is crucial; not only does it help your staff avoid compliance violations, but also enables them to identify any possible unethical behavior that may be a future threat to your reputation.
What Should be Included in Compliance Training?
Internal Regulations -- If your company's policies change with every passing year, it pays to offer internal compliance training to your employees.
Industry-specific laws-- Every industry has laws that workers need to comply with. For instance, in healthcare, an employee should be aware of HIPAA violations and regulations. At the same time, it is the company's responsibility to provide information about the health information privacy to their employees. Find out more about the employers comprehensive compliance checklist on HIPAA here.
Recruiting policies -- Your HR department needs to follow proper procedures when onboarding new employees.
State-specific compliance policies-- Compliance regulations may vary depending on the state you're in.
Want to Improve Compliance in Your Organization?
EasyLlama offers online compliance training courses that protect your business's values, enhances your business reputation, and help you avoid costly penalties.
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