When was the last time your company offered management and/or employee training programs? It’s well known that these informative programs have both practical and legal significance for your business. When run correctly, these programs are vital, as they should be specific to addressing the needs of your business and its organizational mission.
The Practical Importance of Training Programs
Starting with practical importance, management and employee training programs help ensure that your company’s representatives (its managers and employees) understand your business’s core beliefs and how they are expected to embody the business. For example, how are challenging clients handled? Negative customer service feedback? These very real issues need to be addressed before they come up. Additionally, these programs act as a training tool for new hires as they get started in their new position. Many training programs at the management and employee level include a written training manual that can act as an invaluable resource (and legal defense) in the future.
The Legal Importance of Training Programs
It should come as no surprise that management and employee training programs must cover specific issues and the list of what must be addressed under the law is somewhat extensive. It’s important that businesses understand the requirements for each aspect of these key training programs to ensure that they’re addressed. Managers need to know what their responsibilities are not just in their behavior but also in their expected responsibilities in addressing those issues.
Management and employee training programs are also essential for compliance reasons. Many industries have specific statutes that speak to such compliance. For example, companies that deal with sensitive information, such as financial information or social security numbers, are generally subject to certain industry standards and rules to safeguard the information. Furthermore, employers must offer training programs to address various safety issues as outlined by the state.
These programs are also legally significant because they incorporate training on sensitive – and highly litigious — topics such as sexual harassment and discrimination. Offering an employee handbook and corresponding workshop on harassment in the workplace could be the defense your business needs down the road.
Need Help with Your Training Programs?
If you need help determining what should be included in your management or employee training programs, speak with experienced legal counsel. Attorney Drew E. Pomerance has extensive experience assisting companies with their handbook and training needs.
