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Training requirements for employees

January 6, 2026training

Training requirements for employees: what employers must provide (and how to stay compliant)

If you’re searching for training requirements for employees, you’re likely trying to answer two practical questions: What training is legally required for my workforce? and How do I deliver and document it across different states and job types? This guide breaks down the most common required compliance training for employees, where the rules come from, and how to build a repeatable program that holds up in an audit or claim.

For broader context on building a complete program, see SwiftSDS’s hub on human resources compliance training and the overview guide on compliance training for employees.

Why “training requirements” are hard to pin down

There isn’t a single master list of mandatory training that applies to every employer. Instead, compliance training requirements come from multiple sources:

  • Federal safety rules (primarily OSHA) that require training when employees face specific hazards.
  • Federal wage/hour and anti-discrimination frameworks (often enforced through policies, postings, and investigations—training is a best practice and sometimes state-mandated).
  • State and local laws that require training on harassment prevention, paid leave, scheduling, industry hazards, and more.
  • Industry rules (healthcare, transportation, environmental) that add job-specific training needed for certain roles.

A helpful way to think about “training requirements” is:
(1) Who you employ + (2) where they work + (3) what hazards or regulated activities they perform = your required training.

Core categories of required employee training (with legal anchors)

1) Safety and health training (OSHA and hazard-based requirements)

At the federal level, OSHA requires employers to provide training where standards apply (for example, hazard communication, PPE, respiratory protection, lockout/tagout, bloodborne pathogens, etc.). In practice, your training needed depends on the hazards in your workplace and the tasks employees perform.

Action steps:

  • Conduct a role-based hazard assessment (tasks, chemicals, equipment, environment).
  • Map each hazard to an applicable OSHA standard and training requirement.
  • Set retraining triggers (process changes, new chemicals, incidents/near-misses).

SwiftSDS resources to support implementation:

2) Wage/hour awareness (FLSA notice + policy training best practice)

While the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is commonly satisfied through correct pay practices and required postings, many employers reduce risk by training managers on overtime, off-the-clock work, breaks, timekeeping, and classification.

You should also ensure the federally required notice is posted and accessible:

For multi-state employers, keep your location rules straight with SwiftSDS posting requirement pages like Federal (United States) Posting Requirements, which can help you track core notices alongside training.

3) Anti-discrimination and harassment prevention (often state-mandated)

Many states require some form of harassment prevention training (who must be trained, how often, and required content varies). Even where not required, it’s widely considered a baseline compliance practice, especially for supervisors.

Pair training with required postings where applicable. Example (Massachusetts):

Actionable guidance: At minimum, train:

  • All supervisors (higher risk exposure and reporting duties)
  • HR and anyone receiving complaints
  • All employees during onboarding + periodic refreshers aligned to your state requirements

Required employee training by state: how to manage location-specific rules

When employers ask about required employee training by state or compliance training requirements by state, the key is to build a matrix that includes:

  • State(s) where employees physically work (including remote employees)
  • Industry and hazard profile
  • Employee type (supervisor vs. non-supervisor; temporary worker; minor)

Then link each requirement to a training module, frequency, and documentation standard.

SwiftSDS state pages can help you organize your compliance footprint. Start with:

Even when a rule is framed as a “posting requirement,” it often signals a related training need (for example, discrimination/leave rights, injury reporting processes, wage rules). Posting + training + documentation is the strongest operational approach.

Industry- and role-specific training: don’t miss “trigger” requirements

Beyond general HR compliance topics, some training requirements are triggered by specific job duties. Common examples:

H3) Hazard Communication (chemical handling)

If employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals, training must cover label elements, Safety Data Sheets, and protective measures. This is one of the most frequently cited OSHA training gaps.

H3) Injury and workers’ compensation processes

Training supervisors on incident response, reporting timelines, and return-to-work procedures reduces costs and improves compliance.

Example notice (Massachusetts):

H3) Temporary worker / staffing scenarios

If you use temporary workers, you may have extra communication and hazard training obligations depending on the arrangement and state rules.

Example (Massachusetts):

H3) Environmental health and safety (EHS) credentials

For EHS-heavy operations, formalized training paths and certifications can help standardize competence and documentation across sites. See environmental health and safety certification programs for options to support higher-risk roles.

Annual compliance training requirements: what to refresh and how often

“Annual compliance training requirements” may be mandated by a specific state law (common for harassment prevention in some jurisdictions) or by OSHA standards that require periodic retraining in certain circumstances. Even where annual training isn’t explicitly required, annual refreshers are a strong default for:

  • Safety fundamentals (hazard awareness, incident reporting, emergency procedures)
  • Harassment prevention and respectful workplace standards
  • Manager training on wage/hour and leave administration
  • Data privacy/security awareness (where applicable)

To operationalize this:

  • Maintain a training calendar (by state, job family, and supervisor status)
  • Set reminders 30–60 days ahead of due dates
  • Use consistent completion records (date, content outline, attendee roster, assessment if used)

If you need help selecting delivery methods and vendors, compare options in compliance training providers.

Practical compliance checklist: prove you trained (and trained correctly)

A training program only helps if you can demonstrate it. Here’s a documentation checklist HR teams can implement immediately:

  1. Training matrix by role + location (modules, frequency, audience, owner)
  2. Written learning objectives and agenda for each module
  3. Attendance/completion records (including remote workers)
  4. Trainer qualifications (internal SME or vendor credentials)
  5. Policy acknowledgments (anti-harassment, reporting, safety rules)
  6. Retraining triggers documented (new equipment, incidents, process changes)
  7. Language/accessibility plan (translations, accommodations as needed)

FAQ: training requirements for employees

Are employers required to provide training to employees?

In many cases, yes—employers are required to provide training to employees when federal or state rules apply (most commonly safety training under OSHA standards, plus state-mandated topics like harassment prevention in certain jurisdictions). Even where not strictly required, training is a core risk-control tool and often expected by regulators and insurers.

What is a good “list of mandatory training for employees” to start with?

Start with (1) hazard-based safety training (OSHA-triggered), (2) harassment prevention (state/local rules), (3) wage/hour manager training (to prevent FLSA violations), and (4) role-specific modules like hazard communication, incident reporting, and equipment safety. Then tailor by state using SwiftSDS jurisdiction resources like Federal posting requirements and your relevant state pages.

How do I manage compliance training requirements by state for remote employees?

Train based on where the employee is physically working, not where your HQ is located. Keep a state-by-state training matrix, align onboarding workflows to employee work location, and maintain consistent documentation to show completion and content coverage.

If you’re building or updating your program, SwiftSDS’s compliance training for employees guide is a strong next step for structuring modules, assigning ownership, and aligning training with postings and documentation.