Are You Neglecting Employee Training?

As discussed in previous blogs, preventing legal problems is always preferred over addressing them once they have arisen. As a business owner or business leader, shielding your company from lawsuits, compliance issues, tax problems, and other types of legal trouble should be a top priority.

Strong employee training can protect your company from avoidable legal headaches and ensure that your employees properly fulfill job duties. Unfortunately, many business owners sabotage their company’s growth because they underestimate the significance of employee training.

Evaluating Your Employee Training Programs

Business leaders should regularly evaluate and update employee training programs. Training your staff is not a one-time event. Just as your company grows and changes, your training program should grow and change to fit your needs.

When analyzing your employee training methodologies for weaknesses and deficiencies, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do my employees know how to help the company avoid lawsuits?
• Do my employees have bad habits or misunderstandings that put my company at risk of adverse legal action?
• How does my training program encourage employees to uphold the company culture?
• Do employees actually read and comprehend the employee handbook?

Issues to Address During Employee and Management Training

The specific issues you should address during training sessions will depend on the industry, your company’s specific needs, and the number and type of staff you currently employ. However, there are certain issues that every employer should cover, including:

• Sexual harassment prevention – A sexual harassment lawsuit can result in heavy financial consequences and nearly destroy your company’s reputation. Not only is sexual harassment training required per the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act, it is also key in minimizing risk, reducing employee turnover, and increasing productivity.
• Anti-discrimination training – Like sexual harassment claims, discrimination claims can ruin your company’s chances of success. Make sure to teach supervisors as well as employees how to recognize and prevent discriminatory conduct. Hiring managers should know what types of interview questions could land the company in legal trouble and how to avoid inappropriate interviews.
• Safety training – Even if your staff work in an indoor office, safety training is still an important part of reducing the risk of insurance claims and lawsuits.
• Ethics training – The unethical actions of a single employee can affect the entirety of the company. Ensure that your training program includes information about your company’s code of conduct and how to handle ethical dilemmas.

Call us For Legal Guidance and Support

Employee training is a crucial component in preventing legal problems and building long-term success. At the Gierach Law Firm, we know firsthand how important employee training is to a small- or medium-sized business. If your company has one or more employees but is not large enough for in-house legal counsel, check out our outsourced general counsel program YourOCG. Our Naperville business law attorneys can help you build a training program that addresses the relevant legal issues and reduces the risk of legal headaches, fines, and reputational damage.

Call 630-756-1160 for a confidential consultation.