What is Compliance Training Software? How to Develop the Best Compliance Training Program

Businesses must comply with employment regulations and labor laws, including industry-specific regulations like HIPAA in the healthcare industry. Failure to comply with state or federal laws can lead to fines, legal action, and irreparable damage to your brand’s reputation and image. 

Compliance is essential to avoid these types of outcomes and equip your teams with the knowledge they need to perform their roles safely, efficiently, and effectively. The challenge for businesses is finding a way to implement compliance training programs that deliver measurable results. 

Compliance training software offers a solution by making it simple to design custom courses, track training progress, store important documentation, automate time-consuming tasks, and more. 

Understanding why compliance training matters; what types of compliance training a software system can help you implement; and what features and functionalities you should look for in a compliance training platform can help you maintain a safe, inclusive workplace and protect your organization from costly fines and penalties.

What is compliance training software?

No matter what industry you’re in or what services you provide, you must comply with the state and federal regulations that affect your business. It’s also essential for employees to be familiar with internal company rules, policies, and procedures. 

Compliance training covers various topics and issues that deal with the employer-employee relationship, from policies around employee benefits and medical leave to federal laws prohibiting discrimination. 

Digital tools, like compliance training platforms, can be used to facilitate compliance training. 

Compliance training software usually refers to a learning management system or LMS. Learning management systems can be used by small, mid-sized, or large organizations to improve the quality and efficiency of compliance training initiatives—for instance, making training more engaging for learners and easier to track for managers. 

What can a compliance training LMS accomplish? Using a cloud-based platform like WorkRamp, organizations can: 

• Easily create, deliver, and update training content 
• Automate enrollment and re-enrollment in mandatory training courses 
• Create notifications and alerts to keep team members on track 
• Increase the accessibility of training courses by bringing them online and making them mobile-friendly 
• Accommodate a diverse range of preferred approaches to learning, such as asynchronous learning with self-paced courses 
• Keep all compliance-related documentation in an organized hub that can be easily navigated for auditing purposes 
• Incorporate interactivity microlearning and other strategies to improve retention of training content 

An LMS enables businesses to effortlessly develop, deploy, and manage content related to compliance training, including but not limited to online courses, live webinars, quizzes, self-assessments, instructor-led classes, FAQs, and videos. 

An LMS also makes it easy to track employee progress, keep tabs on upcoming deadlines, manage and organize compliance-related documents, and automate enrollment in various courses. 

7 types of compliance training software

Businesses have a wide range of compliance training needs, from training and onboarding new employees to improving and increasing inclusivity on executive teams. 

Software can help organizations efficiently meet a wide variety of compliance training goals and requirements, such as:

• Teaching employees about the company’s anti-harassment policies
• Helping team members understand how to keep customers’ data and personal information secure
• Equipping employees to be safe and prevent accidents on the job site

The question is, what type of training software is best for your business? 

Choosing software that aligns with your organization’s needs and priorities is essential. For example, some organizations may want the ability to design and author their own custom courses, while others prefer to take advantage of prebuilt content. 

Your training needs may also vary depending on your industry or learners’ specific roles and departments. 

Here are seven examples of compliance training software you may benefit from using. 

1. Human resources (HR) compliance training

HR compliance training aims to educate HR employees about the laws, regulations, and company policies governing different aspects of the employer-employee relationship—for example, how employee compensation should be determined or how employee grievances should be resolved.

Other topics or issues that might be addressed by HR compliance training include: 

• Employee recruitment and training programs 
• How employee wages and benefits should be managed 
• Protecting the organization against liability 
• Settling employee complaints and disputes
• What types of HR documentation need to be collected and maintained 

HR compliance training teaches HR team members about company policies and ethics, enabling them to address complex workplace issues and challenges with fairness, transparency, and efficiency. 

This also ensures that your organization follows state and federal laws around employee pay, benefits, maternity and paternity leave, anti-discrimination policies, workplace conflicts, and other employment-related issues. 

2. Anti-harassment compliance training

In one study of over 800 respondents, over one-third—34 percent—said they had left a job because of unresolved harassment issues. 

Whether it occurs in an online or physical setting, bullying, and sexual harassment create an unsafe and uncomfortable working environment. Harassment harms morale and productivity while damaging your brand’s reputation, hindering your ability to attract and retain talent, and exposing your organization to the risk of a lawsuit or legal claim. 

Anti-harassment training teaches participants how to build and maintain an equitable working environment where all team members feel comfortable participating, sharing their ideas, and collaborating. It’s also an essential tool to help protect your organization from negative publicity or legal liability. Participants learn about appropriate standards for professional conduct, how to recognize and report harassment, and what constitutes retaliatory behavior after harassment is reported. 

3. Health and safety compliance training

Safety training isn’t just for hazardous industries like mining or construction—it’s an essential training must-have for every type of business, from hospitals, factories, and warehouses to restaurants, laboratories, and office buildings. 

Examples of subjects that may be covered in safety compliance training include:

• Fire safety
• Environmental safety
• Proper lifting techniques
• Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Preventing of workplace violence

In the U.S., workplace health and safety regulations are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). According to its website, OSHA requires employers to provide a safe workplace and is applicable to most private sector employers and their workers in all 50 states. 

4. Data and cybersecurity compliance training

Data privacy and cybersecurity training aren’t just for tech companies—it’s essential for any business or organization that gathers or stores sensitive information, including the personal information of its employees, customers, or other parties. 

There are two reasons why it’s essential to provide this type of training for your team: 

1. You need to ensure that your organization is following the regulations that govern data privacy, potentially including state-specific laws like the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and/or international regulations like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
2. You need to limit your risk of a data breach while making sure your team is prepared to act if a breach does take place

Data and cybersecurity compliance training bring your team up to speed on data privacy regulations, which constantly evolve as technology gets more sophisticated. It also empowers employees with the technical knowledge and training to keep you and your customers’ data safe from malware, phishing, and other security threats. 

For example, some topics or issues that might be covered include: 

• Awareness of email scams and other security risks 
• Password and username security
• What to do if a company-issued phone or computer is lost or stolen 

5. Diversity and inclusion compliance training

Diversity and inclusion training aims to help employees become aware of and avoid acting upon any biased beliefs or stereotypes they hold based on race, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, or cultural practices and beliefs. 

This training educates learners about recognizing, preventing, and eliminating harassment and discrimination while building a culture that welcomes everyone. 

According to BuiltIn, companies with highly diverse teams noticed a significant increase in cash flow—to the tune of 2.5x per employee. The research also noted that top-quartile companies for racial and ethnic diversity are 36 percent more likely to outperform fourth-quartile companies. 

Diversity is also vital for building effective, engaged teams who are highly motivated to perform. For example, a survey by CNBC found that approximately 80 percent of workers say that they want to work for a company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Meanwhile, research from McKinsey shows that when employees feel included, they become about 3x likelier than their coworkers to feel excited by and committed to the organization’s mission. In other words, inclusivity drives employee engagement. 

By actively fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion, organizations can attract top talent and increase profitability. Learn how to build inclusive learning programs and boost inclusivity through employee resource groups. 

6. HIPAA compliance training 

HIPAA, which refers to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a federal law that applies to organizations categorized as covered entities. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which provides a helpful overview of HIPAA here, covered entities include health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and… healthcare providers that conduct certain healthcare transactions [like billing] electronically.

As the CDC explains, HIPAA was created to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. HIPAA compliance training, which must be provided as part of new employee onboarding, reduces the risk of HIPAA violations and empowers your team with the expertise they need to succeed in healthcare-related roles. 

If your organization handles medical records or other patient information, your team may require not only HIPAA compliance training but additional training around other healthcare-specific laws and regulations, such as the Physician Self-Referral Law (also called “the Stark Law”). 

7. Other Regulatory Compliance Training 

HIPAA, which impacts healthcare organizations, is just one example of industry-specific regulations. Depending on what type of product or service you provide, numerous other laws could impact your business. 

For example, the banking and financial industry is impacted by regulations like the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In the construction industry, organizations need to be aware of and compliant with environmental protection laws like the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). And in the food and beverage industry, businesses must comply with food safety regulations like the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). 

In addition to following industry-specific regulations, there are numerous labor laws that all types of businesses must comply with. For instance, all U.S. businesses with at least 15 employees are subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which bans job discrimination based on race, skin color, religion, sex, or national origin.

What is the importance of compliance training for businesses? 

You’ve already learned about a few different types of compliance training and some of the benefits these types of training can deliver. For instance, if you’re an insurance or healthcare provider, you need to ensure that your team stays up-to-date on HIPAA regulations to ensure that patient records are collected, maintained, and shared following proper protocols—otherwise, you could face costly fines or even legal action. 

Here are four more reasons why effective compliance training is not only helpful but essential for businesses to implement: 

1. Compliance training minimizes your exposure to legal risk and liability 
2. Compliance training boosts employee engagement, efficiency, and productivity 
3. Compliance training lays the foundation for a better company culture 
4. Compliance training mitigates the risk of costly human errors that affect your brand image—and your bottom line 

Let’s review how organizations can achieve these outcomes using compliance training software.

Reduced legal risk 

Failure to comply with employment laws and safety regulations, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), opens the doorway to legal liability—and with it, costly penalties. In addition to being expensive, a fine or lawsuit could seriously hurt your brand’s reputation and hamper your organization’s ability to grow. 

Compliance training helps you mitigate legal and financial risks by ensuring your team members are continuously educated about the newest laws and standards that your business is subject to—from storing customer data securely to operating construction machinery safely to preventing racial discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. A flexible platform like the Learning Cloud makes it easy to deliver all types of compliance training content—and with automated enrollment and re-enrollment, you’ll never have to waste time tracking down what needs to be completed. 

Improved company culture

From how your team members communicate to how engaged and productive they are, company culture impacts every aspect of your daily operations and your long-term success as an organization.

By providing effective compliance training, you can build a strong company culture where inclusivity, employee well-being, and continuous learning are highly valued. 

Data shows that when employees feel included, their sense of ownership, accountability, and engagement increases, along with employee loyalty and retention. That means more talent stays inside your organization, your hiring and recruitment costs decrease, and your team members feel more motivated to continue learning and improving. 

Increased engagement and completion rates 

Forbes defines employee engagement as the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals. Gallup phrases it slightly differently, defining engagement as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace. 

Whether you define it as enthusiasm, emotional commitment, or something else, one fact is clear: higher engagement produces better business outcomes. For example, increased engagement has been linked to lower employee turnover, which means better team morale and lower hiring costs.  

WorkRamp’s employee training LMS levels up your team’s engagement by enabling you to create fun, useful training content that’s tailored to each learner’s job role or industry. 

Reduced human error 

Whether the topic is data storage or job site safety, compliance training helps ensure that all your team members know the latest standards, practices, and regulations affecting your industry. That’s crucial not only from a legal and safety standpoint but also for the financial health of your business. 

According to research by IBM, inaccurate data translates to economic losses exceeding $3 trillion annually in the U.S. alone. More recent data indicates that human errors are responsible for nearly half of all disruptions to business. 

 While human errors are costly, they can be minimized by using an LMS like the Learning Cloud to deliver top-notch compliance training. 

8 essential features of compliance training software

Do you want to limit your legal liability, minimize human errors, increase your team’s engagement, and build a better company culture? If your answer is yes, then it’s imperative for your organization to provide effective compliance training for team members. 

Compliance training software can help you meet that challenge successfully—but only if it offers the necessary features and functions.

For HR managers and L&D leaders, that raises an important question: what features and capabilities should you be looking for in compliance training software? 

For example:

• Will the solution be scalable as your organization grows? 
• Does it provide actionable insights by offering data analytics and reporting? 
• Will remote or WFH employees be able to access the platform on mobile devices? 

Discover the must-have features for the best compliance training software, from automated workflows to social learning and interactivity. 

1. Automated workflows

Look for a platform like WorkRamp that lets you easily automate workflows, training, retraining, and course tracking. 

With the Learning Cloud, you can automate course authoring, course enrollment, and course re-enrollment and send automatic notifications and alerts to employees. Automation also makes it simple to compile, organize, and locate the documents you need to maintain compliance, providing you with a secure way to access each employee’s training history.

By harnessing the power of automation, you can make compliance training faster, more cost-efficient, and more organized. 

2. Various course options

Organizations have different compliance training needs. For instance, restaurants need to cover topics like food safety, while hospitals need to cover topics like patient record privacy and the proper disposal of medical waste. Employees also have different training needs depending on their roles, responsibilities, and experience level. That means you’ll need a platform that gives you options for designing and delivering courses. 

The Learning Cloud offers an all-in-one, turnkey solution with the flexibility and versatility your team needs. You can use the drag-and-drop course creation tool to develop tailor-made learning experiences, incorporating videos, quizzes, infographics, screen captures, and more. 

3. Tracks compliance requirements and identifies training gaps 

Say goodbye to confusing spreadsheets or manual tracking systems: with the right LMS, you can keep track of compliance requirements, course progress, and completion rates in real-time effortlessly. 

The Learning Cloud makes it easy to know when deadlines are approaching, see employees’ progress on training courses, and spot knowledge or skill gaps that need to be filled. 

4. Scalable learning 

You need an online compliance training platform that’s capable of growing with you, even when you’re going through a period of hypergrowth. It’s important to choose an LMS that offers a scalable compliance solution.

WorkRamp’s platform is designed to help you build training materials and instructional content at scale. You can easily standardize language and terminology, assign content creation to teams, and deliver an exceptional experience for both learners and admins—no matter how quickly your team is expanding. 

5. Cloud-based and mobile access

The way businesses operate has radically changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost 13 percent of employees now working from home and over 28 percent working on a hybrid WFH/in-office basis. 

With the shift toward remote work, businesses need to adapt by making training materials accessible online, including a mobile-friendly design that lets employees learn on the go. 

Using a mobile-friendly, cloud-based platform eliminates the friction and inefficiency of traditional training, like differences in time zones or the need to travel to job training sites.

With the Learning Cloud and mobile learning, employees can learn on their own schedule by accessing online training resources like video conferencing, message boards, how-to guides, and interactive lessons.

6. Interactivity and social learning

Interactive features are important in an LMS because they enhance learner engagement, leading to better knowledge retention and increased motivation to continue learning. Look for a learning platform with interactive features like Challenges, quizzes, scorecards, roleplay, and more. 

Social learning describes learning that occurs by observing others—not just in person but also in a virtual environment. Examples of social learning include chat groups or discussion boards, like a dedicated Slack channel where employees can share and discuss what they’re learning. Other social learning examples include virtual coaching, roleplays, and two-way chat functionality. 

7. Analytics and reporting

Analytics and reporting features are essential to track learner progress and determine the ROI of your training programs. WorkRamp’s platform features advanced data reporting and analytics, enabling you to see which team members have completed training and how learners are progressing. 

With built-in reporting and analytics tools, it’s easy to monitor course completion rates and determine whether your training programs are delivering the expected outcomes. With data-driven insights, you can make strategic, efficient decisions that take your business forward faster. 

8. Certification and retraining opportunities

Some employees need special certifications to be compliant with regulations. An LMS like WorkRamp makes it simple to track which certifications your employees need and when future recertification or retraining is required. 

No matter what industry you’re in or what your organization’s targets look like, compliance training enables learners to develop the critical skills and knowledge they need to perform safely and successfully in their roles. That makes it easier to avoid legal risks, reach your organizational goals faster, and achieve better business outcomes. However, it’s essential to choose the right software to assist you.   

Use the best compliance training software

Compliance training is about more than just protecting your business against risks and liabilities—it’s about positioning your organization for long-term success. That’s why you need a powerful digital platform to manage and streamline your training efforts. 

The Learning Cloud is packed with features that take your compliance training further, including: 

• Robust data reporting capabilities
• Event scheduling and group management features
• Automated workflows
• User-friendly, mobile-friendly interface 
• eSignature verification
• Certification and recertification options
• Real-time dashboards 
• Microlearning, social learning, and interactivity
• Compliance tracking 

Get the edge you need to compete and become an industry-leading innovator. 

Contact us to schedule a free, personalized demo and discover the Learning Cloud can enhance your compliance training programs.