Employee Training: What’s Required & What’s Recommended

All employers should adequately train their employees to maintain a productive and safe workplace. Effective employee training can be developed by implementing training required by law and additional training that assists employees in being productive and successful in the workplace.

This article will look at mandatory employee training by the state and additional recommended training, ensuring that your company remains compliant when it comes to safety and staff training.

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What employee training must employers provide?

List Of Mandatory Training For Employees- Training can include general skills such as technical skills, literacy, orientation about the organization, and programs designed to prevent audits, fines, and lawsuits. Examples are sexual harassment, safety, compliance and ethics training. Be sure to comply with all regulations that apply to your industry, workplace, and employees.

Federal training regulations do not necessarily apply to all employers, but certain rules and laws may apply to specific employers and industries. Some of the required employee training by federal law are:

 

Discrimination

Discrimination in the workforce can take many forms, all of which may be illegal and detrimental. Training in this area has become more critical than ever, as the consequences of not having a strong anti-harassment and discrimination program can be very damaging to your organization.

Under the laws enforced by The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), you may not hire, promote, or fire someone based on their age, race, religion, disability, color, or sex. Most employment agencies and labor unions are covered by EEOC laws, as well as employers with 15 or more employees. Regulations apply to work situations such as harassment, training, wages and benefits, and hiring and firing.

Employees are also protected from retaliation by these laws. Retaliation occurs when a manager takes hostile or adverse action against an employee who files a harassment complaint.

Understanding And Preventing Age Discrimination (Course)

 

Sexual harassment

As this is the most common form of workplace harassment, which could lead to hefty fines and lawsuits, training on this subject is vital. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome requests for sexual favors, sexual advances, and other physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature.

Because of its damaging effects on a company’s morale, productivity, and culture, employers must do their utmost to eliminate and prevent sexual harassment in their organization actively. This involves educating your entire workforce on acceptable behavior and sexual harassment. Managers and supervisors must be given specialized training on how to handle these cases correctly and professionally.

California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and New York have their state laws specifically addressing sexual harassment. Make sure what your specific state law requirements are, for example, the frequency in which the training must be provided, who must be trained, the required content of the training program, and proper record keeping. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces laws regarding workplace harassment.

California Sexual Harassment Training For Managers And Supervisors

 

Safety

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires that employers train their employees in their jobs’ safety and health aspects. Training helps and shows employees what they should and should not do when they perform their workplace duties. Effective training can reduce accidents and workplace incidents, ensure fewer lawsuits, lower costs, and promote a happier and safer workplace.

Here are some of OSHA’s safety training requirements for employees:

• Hazard communication.
• First aid training.
• Emergency action plan training.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE).

Many more OSHA regulations require training. For example, specific training requirements for occupations considered safety-sensitive or organizations involving the public’s safety like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Be sure to comply with all regulations that apply to your industry, workplace, and employees.

 

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

FLSA is a federal law that determines the minimum wage, recordkeeping, overtime pay eligibility, and child labor standards. The act affects full-and part-time workers in the private sector and federal, state, and local governments. This training should cover overtime requirements and ensure that all hours of work are recorded and compensated.

Wage & Hour Compliance (FLSA) Made Simple Course

 

Compliance and ethics

Ethics and compliance have different meanings but often go hand-in-hand. Compliance means following rules, laws, and policies to the letter of the law. Ethics means doing what is right, regardless of what the law says. It is a conscious, personal choice. Corporations have different ways of addressing compliance and ethics issues within their companies. Regardless of how it is internally handled, most corporate boards know ethics and compliance greatly influence their culture.

Adequate and effective training can help promote a culture of ethical business practices and compliance with the law. The training should cover the company’s policies and procedures, any rules that may apply to the company, and efforts to detect, prevent, and address wrongdoing.

 Workplace Safety Awareness Course

 

Job or industry-specific training

Some state and federal laws require special training for employees with specific job functions. Examples are Hazardous Materials Regulations, which require that employers provide specialized safety training to employees who directly work with hazardous materials, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This act requires covered entities such as health care providers to train their staff on protected health information procedures.

Dangerous Goods Function Specific Training And Assessment For Shippers By Air

 

State by state-required employee training list

As sexual harassment is such a significant problem in the workplace, some states have responded with sexual harassment training requirements. The laws vary in the type, amount, and training format, but they are fighting the same problem. States that have passed laws regarding harassment training are California, Connecticut, Delaware. Illinois, and Maine.

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FAQs On Employee Training Programs

 

Q. What is required employee training? 

Employee training refers to the mandatory training sessions that employees must complete to comply with company policies, industry regulations, or legal requirements.

 

Q. How often must employees complete required employee training? 

The frequency of required employee training varies based on the specific training program and regulatory requirements, but it can range from annually to every few years.

 

Q. Can required employee training be completed online? 

Yes, Coggno offers employee training online that allows employees to complete the training at their convenience while ensuring compliance with necessary standards.

 

Q. What is mandatory employee training? 

Mandatory employee training is training that employees are required to complete by their employer or regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and company policies.

 

Q. Why is mandatory employee training important? 

Mandatory employee training is important because it ensures that employees understand and adhere to legal requirements, company policies, and best practices, which helps maintain a safe and compliant workplace.

 

Q. Who is responsible for providing mandatory employee training?

Employers are responsible for providing mandatory employee training, either through in-house resources or by partnering with external training providers.

 

Q. What happens if an employee does not complete mandatory employee training? 

If an employee does not complete mandatory employee training, they may face disciplinary actions, and the company could be at risk for non-compliance with legal or regulatory standards.

 

Q. What types of employee training programs are commonly offered? 

Common types of employee training programs include onboarding, job-specific skills training, leadership development, compliance training, and professional development courses.

 

Q. How can employees access employee training programs? 

Employees can access employee training programs through various platforms such as online learning management systems, in-person workshops, seminars, and webinars provided by their employer.

 

Q. How are employee training programs typically evaluated for effectiveness? 

Employee training programs are evaluated for effectiveness through feedback surveys, assessments, performance metrics, and by measuring improvements in employee performance and productivity post-training.

 

Bottom Line

It is best practice to provide an effective employee training program for your company. These employee training should include mandatory state training and additional training provided by employers. Informed and trained employees lead to a successful and productive organization with a healthy company culture.

Coggno offers a wide range of mandatory training for employees and additional online corporate training courses. You can view our free employee training course catalog here and our course catalog here.

 

Related Courses:

• Employee Motivation Course
• Preventing Employment Discrimination: Employee Edition (Course)
• A Civil And Respectful Workplace