Whether you’re looking for the right course, need help with your LMS, or want to know more about pricing and implementation, you’ll find clear answers here. Can’t find what you need? Our team is ready to help—just reach out.
FAQs Categories
Compliance training covers regulations and policies that keep workplaces safe and lawful. Common topics include:
- Workplace safety – OSHA standards, hazard communication, emergency procedures
- Harassment prevention – Sexual harassment, discrimination, bystander intervention
- Healthcare compliance – HIPAA privacy, patient rights, infection control
- Data security – Cybersecurity awareness, phishing prevention, password protection
- Ethics and conduct – Conflicts of interest, professional boundaries, whistleblower protections
The specific courses you need depend on your industry, role, and location.
While closely related, compliance training and ethics training serve different but complementary purposes in workplace education:
Compliance Training focuses on meeting legal and regulatory requirements. It teaches employees the specific laws, rules, and standards they must follow to avoid violations. Compliance training answers “What must I do to stay within legal boundaries?” Topics include OSHA safety regulations, HIPAA privacy requirements, harassment prevention laws, and industry-specific mandates. Compliance training is typically required by law and failure to complete it can result in regulatory penalties.
Ethics Training focuses on values-based decision-making and doing what’s right beyond minimum legal requirements. It addresses moral principles, professional integrity, and organizational values that guide behavior in ambiguous situations. Ethics training answers “What should I do to act with integrity?” Topics include conflicts of interest, ethical dilemmas, professional judgment, and building a culture of accountability.
Why Both Matter: The most effective workplace training programs integrate compliance and ethics. While compliance training establishes the floor—what you must do—ethics training raises the ceiling by encouraging employees to exceed minimum standards and make principled decisions when regulations don’t provide clear answers.
Evolve’s compliance training courses incorporate ethical decision-making frameworks within regulatory content. For example, our harassment prevention training doesn’t just cover legal definitions—it teaches bystander intervention, empathy, and creating inclusive cultures. Our HIPAA training for healthcare workers includes modules on patient dignity and professional ethics beyond basic privacy rules.
This integrated approach helps organizations build genuine cultures of compliance rather than just checking regulatory boxes.
Generally, Evolve’s harassment prevention training meets or exceeds all state requirements and covers:
- Legal definitions of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation
- Protected classes under federal and state law
- Recognizing harassment in various forms (verbal, physical, visual, online)
- Bystander intervention strategies
- Reporting procedures and employee rights
- Supervisor responsibilities for prevention and response
- Real-world scenarios promoting critical thinking
- Your organization’s specific policies (in custom versions)
We offer state-specific versions for California, New York, and Illinois.
For most organizations, online training offers the best combination of effectiveness, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Here’s why:
Online training advantages:
- Consistent content delivery across all locations
- Self-paced learning that accommodates different schedules
- Automatic tracking and documentation
- Easy updates when regulations change
- Significantly lower per-employee cost
- Accessible 24/7 from any device
When in-person makes sense:
- Hands-on skills training (CPR, equipment operation)
- Very small teams in a single location
- Cultures that value face-to-face interaction
- Roles without regular computer access
Many organizations use a blended approach—online for core knowledge and in-person for skills practice and discussion.
Effective assessment goes beyond checking a completion box. Evolve courses include:
- Knowledge checks throughout each module to reinforce learning in real-time
- Scenario-based questions that require employees to apply concepts, not just memorize facts
- Final assessments that employees must pass to receive certification (typically 80% threshold)
- Detailed reporting that shows not just who completed training, but where learners struggled
Additionally, we recommend periodic pulse surveys and manager check-ins to assess how well employees can apply training concepts in their actual work environment.
Yes—compliance training is not optional for most employees. Whether you need specific compliance training depends on three factors: federal regulations that apply to your role, state laws where you work, and your employer’s industry.
Federally Mandated Compliance Training:
Many compliance training requirements come from federal agencies and apply to all U.S. employers:
- OSHA Safety Training: Required for all employees exposed to workplace hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates specific training for topics like hazard communication, bloodborne pathogens, personal protective equipment, and emergency procedures. Frequency: Annual or when job duties change.
- HIPAA Training for Healthcare Workers: Required for all employees at hospitals, medical practices, health insurance companies, and business associates who handle protected health information (PHI). Frequency: At hire and annually thereafter.
- Anti-Harassment Training: While not federally mandated nationwide, the EEOC strongly recommends harassment prevention training as a best practice for all employers. Frequency: Every 1-2 years.
State-Mandated Compliance Training:
Many states have additional requirements beyond federal law:
- California: Requires harassment prevention training for all employers with 5+ employees
- New York: Requires annual harassment training for all employees
- Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine: Each have specific harassment training mandates
- State-specific OSHA plans: Some states have additional safety training requirements
Industry-Specific Compliance Training:
Certain industries face additional regulatory requirements:
- Healthcare: HIPAA, OSHA bloodborne pathogens, infection control, patient rights
- Construction: OSHA construction standards, fall protection, scaffolding safety
- Manufacturing: Machine guarding, lockout/tagout, hazardous materials
- Financial Services: Anti-money laundering, data security, privacy regulations
- Education: FERPA training for student record privacy
Legal Consequences of Skipping Required Training:
Failing to complete mandatory compliance training creates serious risks:
- Your employer faces OSHA penalties up to $156,259 per willful violation
- HIPAA violations can cost your organization $100 to $50,000+ per incident
- You personally may face disciplinary action or termination
- In serious cases, you could be held personally liable for violations
- Your employer’s defense against lawsuits may be compromised without proof of training
Why Even “Optional” Training Matters:
Some compliance training isn’t legally required but is critical for workplace safety and your career protection. Evolve recommends completing all assigned training because:
- It protects you from unknowingly violating policies
- It documents your good-faith effort to follow rules
- It gives you knowledge to recognize and report problems
- It demonstrates professionalism and accountability
Evolve’s compliance training platform clearly labels which courses are legally required vs. recommended for your role, state, and industry. Our compliance specialists can also help your organization conduct a training needs assessment to identify exactly which compliance training programs your workforce needs.
Requirements vary significantly by industry, location, and workforce size. Here are the most common mandates:
- Harassment prevention: Required in CA, CT, DE, IL, ME, NY, and others—typically every 1-2 years
- OSHA safety: Required for all employers, with specific trainings for construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and general industry
- HIPAA: Required for all healthcare organizations and their business associates who handle protected health information
- Bloodborne pathogens: Required for employees with occupational exposure to blood or bodily fluids
- FERPA: Required for educational institutions handling student records
Evolve’s compliance specialists can help you identify exactly which trainings your organization needs based on your industry, headcount, and operating locations. We stay current on changing regulations so you don’t have to.
The consequences of non-compliance can be severe and include:
Financial penalties:
- OSHA violations: $15,625 per violation (up to $156,259 for willful violations)
- HIPAA violations: $100 to $50,000+ per violation, with annual maximums of $1.5 million
- State harassment law violations: Varies, but can reach hundreds of thousands in settlements
Operational impacts:
- Legal fees and settlement costs
- Increased insurance premiums
- Work stoppages during investigations
- Damage to reputation and employer brand
- Difficulty recruiting and retaining talent
Personal liability:
- Individual managers can face criminal charges
- Board members may face shareholder lawsuits
- Professional license revocation in regulated industries
Investing in quality compliance training is significantly less expensive than dealing with violations.
It depends on the type of training and your location. OSHA safety training is typically required annually or when job responsibilities change. Harassment prevention training is required every two years in most states (annually in California and some others). HIPAA training for healthcare workers should be completed annually. Evolve courses clearly indicate the recommended frequency, and your employer will notify you when refresher training is due.
Compliance training is workplace education that teaches employees about federal and state laws, industry regulations, and company policies that apply to their jobs. Online compliance training programs cover critical topics like workplace safety, harassment prevention, data privacy, and healthcare regulations to ensure organizations meet legal requirements and create safer work environments.
Compliance training matters because it:
- Protects employees from workplace hazards and discrimination
- Reduces your organization’s legal liability and regulatory fines
- Creates documentation required for audits and investigations
- Builds a culture of accountability and ethical conduct
- Helps employees understand their rights and reporting procedures
Evolve e-Learning Solutions provides comprehensive compliance training courses that meet OSHA, HIPAA, and state-specific harassment prevention requirements. Our evidence-based training programs are trusted by healthcare organizations and businesses nationwide to maintain regulatory compliance and protect their workforce.
