Are you confident in you’re the ability of your staff to navigate the latest health and safety legislation? A mistake by one of your employees may end up damaging your company’s reputation and its finances, so it is not an issue to gamble on. Rather than spend time and money getting everyone out of the workplace and into a training center, you can have them learn about any topic that you choose straight from their desk at a fraction of the price. Online training and e-learning also enables you to evaluate your staff on how much they have remembered with a final test.

E-learning courses on topics from child protection to online security can equip your staff with the skills needed to survive in a modern workplace – and in less time than a conventional training course. Additionally, an e-learning course can be a time and cost efficient way of keeping up with the latest legal requirements. The kind of course that you feel will most benefit your staff depends upon your sector as well as their daily responsibilities.

What kind of e-learning would my staff benefit from?

Thanks to the rapid development of the internet as a learning tool, there are a wide variety of online courses available for organizations and companies globally. Depending upon your area of expertise, you’ll want to consider a range of training options that you believe will develop the skills of your team members. Some examples of potential training programs you might want to consider, depending upon your sector, are Adult Protection Trainings, if your employees are in contact with vulnerable adults, or Safeguarding Children Online trainings, if you work in a capacity that involves children in which they are allowed access to the internet.

However, there are some highly beneficial training courses, which transcend sector-specific skills. For example, it is very helpful for all staff that handles any kind of information handling to undergo the Data Protection Act training.

The Data Protection Act, which was passed in 2007, applies to all businesses in the UK that hold or use personal data in any way. The Act decrees that all personal information in the UK should be used fairly and legally. But it isn’t always easy for someone outside the legal profession to know exactly what is meant by “fairly” and “legally” in this context. There are courses available for complete beginners, and also for those who need to go through a slightly more advanced training course due to the handling of especially sensitive information.

How often should my staff undergo training?

This depends upon the nature of your business, but as often as necessary is the best answer. If your staff routinely works with the public or in an environment that is covered by complex and changeable health and safety law, then training on an annual basis, as well as after relevant legal changes, should be considered the minimum. It’s also possible to set up a process that automatically issues new staff with relevant training.

At the end of the day, putting your staff through online training is an investment in their skills and their ability to perform their roles in the most efficient way possible. Online training is an excellent return on that investment because it can improve productivity and reduce the risk that your company will become embroiled in a costly legal battle – while costing far less than a conventional training course. Provide your employees with the skills they need to excel.