Developing an Effective HR Compliance Program

If you, as a business owner, have not researched HR compliance, then you could be putting yourself and your business at risk. With all of the legislation has been passed regarding discrimination, fair employment practices, and harassment in the work place, a thorough HR compliance program is necessary to protect a business.

Essentially, an effective HR compliance program is a process through which executives, managers and employees are informed about HR practices, and appropriate following of laws and policies is enforced. Without an effective HR compliance program, who will ensure that your company is following the standards set forth by the law?

The HR compliance program should not only address the laws that govern business practices, but also policies set forth by the company and the consequence for non-adherence. It should institute a process for making each employee aware of these policies, and a method with which to deal with infringements.

Following these eight simple steps can put your company on the road to effective HR compliance practices.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #1: Educate the Executives

Effective HR compliance starts at the top, so before you can begin to implement an HR Compliance Program, the executive officers of the company must understand the laws and develop effective policies. Sit down with all of the executive officers and toss around ideas for your program while researching the laws that govern U.S. businesses.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #2: Obtain Good Advice

If your HR staff is not equipped to deal with all incoming HR problems, and to develop an effective HR Compliance Program, then outside help is necessary. An HR consultant with years of experience in your industry can be a solid first step. An HR attorney can also set you on the right path.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #3: Train All Managers

Once the laws and policies regarding your HR Compliance Program are understood by all executive officers, call the managers of your company in to train them on these policies, as well. Your managers will be the ones who observe your employees on a daily basis, and will have more concrete knowledge of any infringements. If they don’t know what to report, they won’t.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #4: Have Managers Train Employees

Once your managers are educated about your HR Compliance Program, they should be ready to train all of their employees. Set up a day when HR Compliance is the topic at hand, and let your managers run meetings to inform your employees.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #5: Open the Door

Make sure that all of your managers and employees know that they can come to you (or another executive) with any problems regarding your HR program. Provide an effective way with which employees and managers can communicate their concerns.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #6: Stay on Top

If you start to notice problems within your workforce, address those circumstances immediately. Keep close communication with your managers and insist that your managers communicate with their employees. Let people know when they are doing something right, and also when they do something wrong.

Developing an HR Compliance Program Step #7: Keep Records

Any infringements of your HR Compliance Program should be properly documented and kept in a safe and secure place. Enforce the program so that people know how serious the policies are.