Improving compliance in the workplace: 5 essential steps

Workplace compliance might not be the most exciting topic, but it’s one of the most important. And like filing taxes, it’s not optional. Improving compliance in the workplace protects your organization from legal and financial risk, and it helps foster a culture of integrity, safety, and ethical behavior.

In this post, we’ll break down what compliance in the workplace really means and walk through five key steps to improve it across your organization.

Step 1. Understand the regulations that apply to your business

The first step to improving workplace compliance is knowing which laws, regulations, and industry standards apply to your company. These requirements can vary widely depending on your location, industry, and work environment.

For example:

• A US-based lab handling hazardous materials must follow OSHA standards and chemical safety protocols.
• A European manufacturing plant must adhere to machinery safety regulations and GDPR.
• A tech office in Australia may need to follow cybersecurity and employment laws.

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Step 2: Document your internal compliance policies

Once you’ve identified the applicable regulations, clearly document the policies and procedures your employees need to follow. This ensures everyone is on the same page, and there’s a reliable resource to refer to if they have any questions.

Your compliance policies can be included in:

• Employee handbooks
• Internal documentation hubs
• Onboarding materials

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Step 3. Invest in ongoing employee training

Training is one of the most effective ways to improve compliance in the workplace. It brings your policies to life and helps employees understand how to act on them in real scenarios. The training sessions should cover:

• Safety and health policies, like health attestation for employees and visitors
• How to report hazards, injuries, illnesses
• Emergency response training
• Who to contact in case of compliance breaches

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Step 4. Use workplace technology to support compliance

Manual processes are prone to error—and they’re hard to scale. The right visitor management technology can help your company meet compliance requirements more efficiently and consistently.

For example, visitor management systems can help with:

• Securely collect data: Stay ahead of data privacy laws by storing your visitors’ personal information in a centralized, secure location
• Enforce NDAs: If there’s any sensitive information that your visitors might be interacting with, you can have them sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and store it in your records.
• Store data for future audits: With a visitor management system, you can store detailed reports of who comes in and out of your office. You’ll be able to use that information later for audits.

Other tools that support compliance include access control systems, learning management platforms, and automated reporting tools.

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Step 5. Audit, audit, audit

Audits aren’t just for external agencies—they’re a powerful tool for improving internal compliance. Think of an internal audit as a system check: it helps you catch issues early and continuously improve your processes.

Internal audits should assess:

• Whether current policies are being followed
• How well employees understand compliance procedures
• Gaps or outdated practices that could pose a risk

By auditing regularly, you’ll be better prepared if an external regulator ever comes knocking—and more confident that your workplace is operating with integrity.

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Improving compliance in the workplace is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. It requires clear policies, employee engagement, the right tools, and regular evaluation. But with a plan in place, you’ll be better equipped to create a safe, ethical, and legally sound work environment.

Ready to take the next step? Download our ebook: The enterprise guide to workplace compliance.