How to meet workplace compliance needs in the age of flexible work

Today, many organizations are redefining the way they work, adopting a range of different flexible working models. This increase in flexible work has introduced a myriad of security and compliance challenges. As more people access the workplace, the need to meet stringent regulatory requirements and maintain a secure environment has become even more paramount.

To address these challenges, businesses must ax outdated practices and adopt ones that are automated, scalable, and user-friendly. In this blog post, we’ll explore why this is important to help mitigate non-compliance risks and ensure the safety and security of the workplace.

Outdated practices can be costly. To reduce risk, companies must follow 3 core tenets

What once worked to manage workplace compliance requirements no longer cuts it. Many organizations have found themselves trapped in a web of outdated and siloed compliance management practices. These systems, often rooted in legacy software or manual record-keeping, make it difficult for companies to gain access to critical workplace occupancy data necessary to ensure compliance.

These methods not only pose a significant operational challenge but also carry inherent risks. Outdated systems can lead to data inconsistencies, delayed reporting, and increased vulnerability to compliance breaches. Not only that, they can lead to costly fines, reputational damage, and, in some cases, even legal ramifications—proving that clinging to outdated practices and siloed systems is not only inefficient but can also have a long-term business impact.

So, what’s the solution? Implementing compliance management practices that are automated, scalable, and user-friendly. Let’s look at each of these tenets in more detail.

Tenet 1: Automated

In the world of workplace compliance, time is a critical factor. Relying solely on manual practices to manage a long list of requirements is not only time-consuming but also prone to human error and challenging to scale. (More on this in the next section.) By embracing technology that automates these antiquated aspects of compliance management, your company can streamline its processes and ensure that technology and building access are provisioned seamlessly to the right individuals at the right time, bolstering your security and compliance.

Take, for example, the process of manually tracking employee and visitor attendance. In this scenario, each time an employee enters or leaves the workplace, manual entry or paper-based systems are relied upon, leading to potential inaccuracies and delayed updates. Worse, these disconnected systems prevent companies from accurately consolidating their occupancy data or establishing a single source of truth.

With a workplace platform, companies can improve this process, automatically logging attendance, reducing the potential for human error, and ensuring accurate attendance records. This not only saves time but also enhances workplace security and compliance by providing real-time data that can be crucial for safety and regulatory purposes, helping to create a safer and more compliant workplace environment. When it comes time for an audit, companies can easily access and present a comprehensive and accurate attendance data history from a single system.

Tenet 2: Scalable

When it comes to workplace compliance, one size doesn't fit all. Not only do different industries have to adhere to different regulations, some organizations span multiple locations across regions and countries, and have unique requirements for each. You need compliance practices that can grow and adapt in sync with your expanding business footprint. By standardizing deployments, your teams can easily and efficiently configure compliance practices to meet your organization’s global security standards while also making location-specific customizations.

What does scalable compliance management look like in practice? Let’s look at Parker Meggitt, a global organization specializing in aerospace, defense, and energy systems. With operations spanning the globe, standardizing security measures across their various locations was a top priority. Parker Meggitt implemented a workplace platform that allowed them to create and manage a standardized sign-in process. 

Using their initial setup as a template, the organization is able to quickly and easily roll out their processes to different locations. Instead of starting from scratch each time, they simply edit the template to meet location-specific requirements. This approach not only saves the organization days of work that would otherwise be spent on repetitive, manual setups, it helps them reduce potentially costly risks. 

The US government requires International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) compliance from all exporters, brokers of defense articles, defense services, manufacturers, and related technical data that is on the United States Munitions List (USML). If ‌companies and members in their supply chain fail to adhere to an ITAR compliance visitor policy, it could result in civil and criminal prosecution, with a fine of up to $1 million, business interruption, and denial of export privileges.

Tenet 3: User-friendly

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In today's fast-paced world, where attention spans are short and the demand for immediate gratification is high, simplicity and a user-friendly approach to compliance are important. Compliance practices that are convoluted, unintuitive, or overly complex often deter employees and visitors from adhering to them. The result? Fewer people engage with critical security practices, increasing the risk of compliance breaches, including potential fines and audit discrepancies. 

For example, say your organization has compliance procedures. Employees and visitors are presented with a maze of forms to fill out, unclear instructions, and a lack of user support. Many may choose to either skirt some of the requirements or neglect them altogether. They may also feel overwhelmed by them, resulting in a poor workplace experience and brand impression. Worse, your company’s compliance data becomes unreliable because it’s often incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated, increasing the risks of non-compliance. 

However, when these practices are redesigned with user-friendliness in mind, the outcome is the opposite. Employees and visitors will be more willing to follow the procedures, leading to accurate and up-to-date compliance data. By prioritizing user-friendly compliance practices, organizations can create a safer and more secure workplace environment while maintaining employee and visitor engagement.

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While it may seem daunting to break away from familiar but outdated practices, clinging to these siloed compliance management methods is inefficient and risky. By embracing a unified workplace platform that centrally sources critical presence data and adhering to the core tenets outlined above, businesses can streamline their compliance processes, reduce errors, and foster higher engagement. This ultimately leads to a more secure and compliant workplace. 

As the business landscape continues to evolve, companies that prioritize these tenets will be better equipped to navigate the complexities of workplace compliance and ensure the safety and security of their environments while maintaining efficiency and providing a great employee and visitor experience.

Ready to learn more about how to keep your workplace compliance management practices up to date? Download our latest report, Outdated workplace compliance management is a threat to business success.

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