How to Create an Effective Ethics and Compliance Program

An effective ethics course and HIPAA training program helps companies meet corporate compliance regulations, including what's outlined in the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines, and offer distinct advantages. There is growing evidence between a link in ethical business cultures and corporate success, which indicates overall performance improves when a culture embraces a code of ethics and earns a reputation for responsible conduct.

Leading organizations build ethics and compliance training into a cycle of oversight to promote a code of conduct and the company's expectations of behavior throughout the company. Taking a process-oriented approach to corporate compliance proactively manages both ethical leadership and compliance management throughout the risk lifecycle:

• Defining legal and ethical risks through a comprehensive assessment process to prioritize risks addressed in a holistic compliance program.
• Preventing risks from becoming liabilities by creating and publicizing an effective code of conduct and designing a comprehensive training curriculum for the companywide compliance program.
• Detecting business ethics and compliance issues immediately through certification and registry programs, confidential helplines and open-door policies that encourage employees to uphold the company's standards of conduct.
• Responding quickly with corrective action as soon as any potential wrongdoing is detected by having systems in place to manage incidents when they are uncovered.
• Evaluating risks and continually improving compliance process management.

According to the revised U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations (FSGO), creating an effective compliance program also includes seven key elements:

• Standards and procedures for the compliance program range from a code of ethics to specific internal controls for key risk areas.
• Accountability at the top starting with the board and senior management to provide buy-in and oversight of the legal research and compliance program.
• Care in delegation not to give authority to employees with a history of illegal activity or questionable conduct that would compromise the safety training or compliance program.
• Education and communication of a code of conduct, standards and procedures for employees, officers and directors to ensure effective corporate governance and meet compliance requirements.
• Business processes must include monitoring, auditing and evaluating the compliance program, including a confidential and anonymous means for reporting potential wrongdoing.
• Personal accountability to instill ethical behavior through both incentives and disciplinary action for any violations.
• Response to problems that is swift and appropriate to criminal conduct, including instituting measures to prevent reoccurrences.

Since 1993, LRN has been a pioneer in the field of ethics online training, helping nearly 300 companies put effective corporate ethics training and compliance programs into practice. LRN's dedicated team of 350 professionals brings a wealth of experience ranging from academia to business as well as multimedia, software and technology, to work with you to create communication and educational training tools that promote and reinforce your code of business conduct and compliance program. Go to LRN.com to learn how you can develop an ethics and compliance program that will inspire principled performance throughout your organization.