How Evolving Health & Safety Protocols Have Impacted Corporate Training

Companies across all industries are navigating the ever-changing health and safety regulations and protocols set in motion by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, organizations had unique sets of rules to promote employee health and a safe workplace. However, most were not nearly as strict as they now are. With the development of targeted vaccines and treatments, many companies have eased their COVID-related health and safety standards somewhat. 

Health and safety rules, which can change on a dime, have impacted corporate training. Keep reading to learn more. 

The Value of Health & Safety Protocols in the Age of COVID-19

The value of health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 cannot be overstated. When such rules are followed, companies will reap benefits like:

• A lower rate of COVID-19 transmission - This means more employees can remain well and be productive. Over time, this can save organizations a lot of money. 
• A more informed staff base - The more employees know about COVID-19 and why certain rules and regulations are set forth by their employer, the more empowered they will be to protect themselves from illness. Again, this contributes to less sick leave and better productivity. 
• Engaged employees - When a worker knows their employer has set forth rules specifically for their safety, they may become more engaged with their job. Higher levels of engagement can potentially lower turnover, saving companies the tremendous expense of replacing and training new employees. 

“Safety rules in the workplace are important because they protect employees, customers and the company's brand reputation,” explained an article by Indeed.com.¹ “Enforcing safety rules can reduce on-the-job accidents and injuries and maximize productivity. Limiting risks can improve the work environment and job satisfaction of employees. Companies also benefit from a safe workplace because employees are more productive and customers may view the brand more positively.”

Health and safety protocols are highly beneficial for companies and employees. But how do they affect corporate training?

How COVID-Related Health & Safety Rules Have Impacted Corporate Training

COVID-related health and safety protocols have majorly impacted how companies operate, but they have also impacted corporate training in profound ways. The primary way health and safety rules have impacted corporate training is by making online training a necessity. 

For most companies, an easy solution for keeping employees safe from illness is to have them work remotely. When employees work remotely, that usually means they also must train remotely. This has led to a quick rise in online learning/eLearning. The article 31+ eLearning Statistics 2022 explained, 

“During 2020, demand for online learning opportunities rose exponentially…. Demand rose by as much as 400%, with many people wanting to upskill during their time off work.”²

The height of the pandemic has passed, but that doesn’t mean remote training is out. Some organizations that are no longer implementing a remote work model are continuing to use the remote learning model they implemented in 2020. In fact, the corporate online learning market is projected to increase by $38.09 billion between 2020 and 2024, per TechJury.³

Today’s workers want more training opportunities, whether remote or in-person. The 2022 Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn stated, 

“Culture is having a watershed moment. According to Glint data, having opportunities to learn and grow is now the number 1 factor that people say defines an exceptional work environment.7 On top of that, employees who rate their culture highly are 25% more likely to be happy at work and 31% more likely to recommend working at their organization.7 The headline is clear: Learning powers culture, and culture powers engaged employees who are energized to innovate, delight customers, and beat the competition. Fortunately, almost two-thirds of L&D pros see their culture moving in the right direction.”⁴

If an organization wants to grow and prevent turnover, L&D must be prioritized. The best way to create, deliver, track, and report on remote corporate training is by using an online learning platform like TOPYX LMS.

Are Online Health & Safety Courses Worth It? 

Some organizations are utilizing online health and safety courses post-pandemic. They can easily be uploaded to an online learning platform and then added to a worker’s learning path. But are these courses worth it? Do employees really get anything out of them? Depending on the quality of the course, the answer is yes. The article Online Safety Training vs. Classroom Safety Training said,  

“Studies indicate that online training is equivalent to classroom training but only if the course content among both formats is the same. If you conduct an engaging safety training class that is customized to your workers specific safety hazards, that will almost certainly be more effective than a generic online training course. These studies can only tell us how effective these formats are when the content is identical. If you were to record an in-person training class and convert it into an online training course, you would likely achieve the same training outcome as with the in-person training session.”⁵

Some organizations may opt to create online health and safety training programs in-house. However, it can be more cost-effective to purchase remote training courses from a third-party vendor. Unless the course must be highly personalized to the individual company, consider purchasing a course off the shelf. 

Use an Online Learning Platform to Train Workers Remotely 

COVID-19 has made it necessary for organizations to implement remote, online training for workers. By using an online learning platform, administrators can facilitate remote work and provide all types of training to employees, including health and safety training. The following features in TOPYX online learning platform make this possible: 

• Mobile learning - Companies that adopt and support mobile technologies see higher engagement and success rates. With TOPYX mobile learning features, learners can access content on demand, regardless of location or time zone. All a user needs for a superior learning experience is an internet connection and a mobile device. Moreover, mobile learning provides flexibility and freedom outside of office hours, giving employees the ability to increase productivity in other areas of their work.
• Social learning - TOPYX leverages the most comprehensive collaborative social learning capabilities available that encourage learners to be more engaged. Robust social functionalities are integral to any LMS solution and serve strategic business purposes. These purposes include accelerating content curation and knowledge sharing; enhancing productivity for remote teams; creating sustainable learning communities; and providing ongoing support for both instructors and learners.
• Certifications - Managing certifications when you have a dispersed workforce can be complicated. TOPYX makes it simple. With TOPYX online learning platform, administrators can track course completion and compliance directly in the LMS. This streamlines compliance management and helps save organizational leaders time. The certifications feature allows you to see at a glance which employees are compliant and which are not, and track units of Continuing Education (CE) completed by each team member and count them towards organizational requirements. Also, TOPYX generates unique numbering for each certificate and automatically associates expiry information based on administrators’ settings.

With TOPYX, organizational leaders can also manage the LMS administration process. Administrators oversee the operational performance of an online learning platform and assist in uploading content, creating and managing courses, and setting up unique learning paths for learners. TOPYX eliminates the guesswork associated with these steps and streamlines the administrative processes inherent to an eLearning program.

TOPYX online learning platform offers administrators access to an intuitive console and assists with setup, customization, and branding. TOPYX provides organizations a detailed training plan and support team to help with installation and maintenance every step of the way. No IT or coding knowledge is required for system administrators.

An LMS Promotes Communication and Supports L&D Transformation 

An online learning platform not only fosters training, but it is a great communication tool. Leaders can use an online learning platform to communicate with workers about evolving health and safety protocols. An online learning platform also allows administrators to quickly update health and safety course information.

COVID-19 changed so much about the way organizations operate. Related health and safety protocols had a similar impact on corporate training, making online learning essential. Online learning platforms have played a key role in the L&D transformation, making it possible for organizations to create, deliver, track, and report on remote training for dispersed workforces. 

TOPYX LMS can help your organization keep employees, even those working remotely, well trained and up to date on key skills and competencies. Request a free LMS demo of TOPYX to learn more. 

References 

1) Indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/safety-rules-workplace#:~:text=Safety%20rules%20in%20the%20workplace%20are%20important%20because%20they%20protect,and%20job%20satisfaction%20of%20employees. 

2) Startup Bonsai. https://startupbonsai.com/elearning-statistics/. 

3) TechJury. https://techjury.net/blog/elearning-statistics/#gref. 

4) LinkedIn. https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/learning/en-us/pdfs/workplace-learning-report/LinkedIn-Learning_Workplace-Learning-Report-2022-EN.pdf. 

5) Atlantic. https://www.atlantictraining.com/blog/online-vs-classroom-safety-training/.