For most large Canadian companies, compliance is essential to meet regulatory requirements, and to ensure smooth, profitable operations without major obstacles, such as lawsuits or other financial penalties.

Despite the necessity of compliance in the workplace, it’s tough to get employees to do what they’re supposed to in some cases. For instance, say a trucking company has grown and brought on more drivers to help the business function, each one of those drivers and managers needs to be fully aware and 100% on their compliance regulations so that there is little to no room for an issue if something were to happen when on the road. Everyone needs to be aware of the role that compliance plays, if not, then the repercussions can be vast. That is why software from companies like Tenstreet can help businesses through this and help all employees be compliant.

It’s not necessarily because they want to do the wrong thing, but it may just be easier to be non-compliant. It’s important to balance the need for compliance with the desire for employees to feel independent and autonomous. It’s also key to encourage compliance in a positive way, rather than a negative one.

The following are some things Canadian organizations can do to encourage employees to be compliant without taking away their sense of independence or making them feel like they’re being punished.

Give Them the Right Tools and Technology

Sometimes being compliant is a burden for employees, but if you give them tools and technology that make it easier, they’re going to be more satisfied.

For example, what about expense management? It’s important, but a lot of employees find that takes away from more valuable tasks when they’re doing things like keeping all their receipts when they travel and asking for approvals that take way too long. Equip them with the mobility essentials for expense management so they can deal with these things in a way that’s easy and convenient for them, and they’re more likely to maintain compliance.

Train Them

Along with the convenience factor, a lot of employees may not be compliant because they don’t really know how to be. This can be especially problematic in larger corporations where employees are frequently coming and going.

Are they all well-trained on issues related to compliance? Is enough being budgeted for the necessary training and re-training of employees?

When you’re creating compliance training make sure it’s presenting employees with real-life scenarios and showing them not just the rules, but what compliance looks like in the workplace.

Reward Compliance

Sometimes employers make the mistake of only recognizing the importance of compliance when they’re punishing employees for not adhering to the policies and guidelines. This is a mistake on the part of employers because it’s framing the whole idea of compliance in a negative light.

Reframe it in a positive way. Reward compliance as a way to motivate employees to do the right thing, rather than exclusively focusing on punishing non-compliance.

Large corporations don’t have the ability to babysit employees, nor do employees want this. Set the groundwork for them to do the right thing, and then give them the proper recognition when they do.

Finally, be sure to regularly go over policies within the company and make sure you’re not forcing employees to follow guidelines that are unnecessary. Cut the bureaucracy and unneeded steps so that employees feel like they have more freedom to get from point A to point B. if you’re forcing employees to adhere to compliance standards that are irrelevant or lacking in necessity, they’re less likely to comply with the really important policies.