Compulsory corporate training: what you need to know

Often perceived as a constraint, mandatory corporate training is in fact an opportunity: for the employer, to meet his legal obligations, and for the employee, to ensure his health, his adaptation to the job and his professional development.

But what exactly are we talking about? What are the mandatory training courses that a company must offer? When should they be completed? And above all, how can you ensure that they are properly implemented in a coherent training plan?

Compulsory training undertaken: definition

Compulsory in-company training is a vocational training action imposed by law or regulation. Its main objective is to guarantee safety, health, adaptation to the workplace or even the retention of staff in employment.

These training courses are therefore mandatory for the employer, who must ensure their implementation within specific deadlines, according to the specificities of the positions or sectors of activity. Not organizing them exposes the company to sanctions, but also to significant risks in the event of an accident or litigation.

The legislative framework for vocational training in companies

Essential training courses fall within a strict legal framework:

• Labor Code: articles L4121-1 (safety), L6321-1 (training), L2315-63 (CSE), etc.
• Collective agreements: some agreements or branch agreements may require specific apprenticeships.
• Regulated sectors: transport, nuclear, construction, health... These areas provide for specific obligations.

The employer is responsible for complying with these texts. It must include these actions in a skills development plan, formerly a training plan.

What training courses are mandatory for employees?

Here are the main essential lessons that every company must put in place depending on the situation:

1. Safety training

It is one of the most well known bonds. Under article L4121-1 of the Labour Code, the employer must ensure the health and safety of workers. He must therefore organize training courses adapted to each position, such as:

• Hiring safety training
• Training in the prevention of occupational risks
• Fire training (handling fire extinguishers, evacuation...)
• Training gestures and postures for physical positions
• Training in protective equipment (PPE, machines)

2. Electrical certification training

Imposed for any employee working on or near electrical installations. The authorization is defined by the NF C 18-510 standard.

3. OSH training (Occupational First Aid Rescuer)

Recommended in all companies, but mandatory for a certain number of employees or depending on the risks identified. It makes it possible to train employees capable of intervening in the event of an accident.

4. Non-discrimination training in employment

Since 2017, this training has been mandatory for employers or persons in charge of recruitment in companies with more than 300 employees, or those who recruit frequently.

5. CSE training

Members of the Social and Economic Committee (CSE) must benefit from economic and/or health and safety training according to their missions. This training is the responsibility of the employer.

6. Training for professional equality and the fight against harassment

Some specific training requirements often apply in companies with more than 250 employees.

Compulsory training or mandatory training: what is the difference?

It is important not to confuse mandatory training with mandatory training:

• Compulsory training is imposed by a specific legal or regulatory rule.
• The training obligation, on the other hand, derives from article L6321-1 of the Labor Code: the employer has the obligation to ensure the adaptation of its employees to their position, and to ensure their employability.

Thus, even if training is not expressly “mandatory” in a legal text, it may become necessary to ensure the acclimatization of the worker, especially in the event of a change of position or new tools.
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When should mandatory training be completed?

The essential lessons must be planned rigorously, because they depend on the work context, the regulations in force and the risks identified in the company. It is not enough to provide them once: updating and assimilating them over time is often essential to maintain compliance and guarantee the safety of employees.

Here are the main moments when essential training should be put in place:

• Before taking up the post, in particular when the job presents particular risks or requires specific authorization (e.g. electrical authorization, work at height, handling of dangerous products). This is an essential requirement to guarantee safety from the start of an employee's activity.
• Periodically, when required by regulation. For example, the Occupational First Aid (OSH) training must be renewed every two years to maintain achievements and ensure the effectiveness of first aid actions.
• During the evolution of the position or the introduction of new tools, equipment or work processes. The acclimatization of the employee to his professional environment is a right enshrined in the Labor Code. It sometimes requires new training, even for experienced employees.
• In the event of a reorganization of work, a change in method or process, the employees concerned must receive training to ensure a smooth, secure transition that complies with regulatory requirements.
• Following the identification of a risk in the Single Occupational Risk Assessment Document (DUERP). The DUERP is a fundamental tool in risk prevention and the corrective training it involves may be indispensable.

The management of deadlines, the traceability of training actions and the archiving of proof of achievement are key elements in order to avoid any shortcomings.

What are mandatory corporate training courses for?

Essential training courses are not simple formalities: they play an indispensable role at several levels in the company. Their objective goes beyond regulatory compliance alone; they are a strategic lever for human resources management, risk prevention and skills development.

Here are the main purposes of these courses:

• Protecting employees against the risk of accidents and maintaining their well-being. By training workers in the right actions, safety equipment and protocols to follow, the company reduces the risk of accidents and contributes to a healthier work environment.
• Ensuring compliance with the legal framework. In the event of a breach, the company is exposed to administrative and even criminal sanctions. An employer must be able to prove that it has fulfilled its legal obligations in terms of training.
• Preserving the reputation and credibility of the company, in particular during labour inspection checks or quality certifications. A company that can demonstrate its compliance inspires confidence in its partners, customers and employees.
• Improving overall performance, by ensuring that each employee masters the safety rules, best practices and tools necessary for their activity. This reduces errors, work stoppages, costs related to accidents or non-compliance.
• Preventing psychosocial risks and strengthening well-being at work. Training in harassment prevention, stress management or psychosocial risks has become essential to protect the mental well-being of employees.
• Encouraging the integration of newcomers, who must be trained as soon as they arrive to become familiar with safety rules, the operation of the company and the expectations of their position.
• Develop the versatility and maintain the employability of teams. Some mandatory training courses make it possible to support professional development, to prepare employees for new missions or to adapt to emerging technologies.

Compulsory training is therefore at the crossroads of several issues: legal obligation, preventive tool, vector of professional development and a key element in the organization of skills. For companies, integrating them effectively into their HR strategy is essential.

How Didask facilitates the implementation of mandatory training

Organizing, tracking, managing and renewing essential training courses can quickly become a headache for HR or HSE managers. Fortunately, solutions exist, starting with the Didask LMS training platform.

An LMS tool designed for compliance

THELMS tool Didask allows you to:

• Centralize all regulatory training
• Set automatic reminders
• Monitoring the progress of employees
• Generate certificates or proofs of training
• Ensure that each essential training course is well completed and archived

An AI assistant to pilot effectively

Thanks to his AI assistant, Didask guides you in the management of obligations: suggestion of courses, prioritization of actions to be taken, detection of threats of non-compliance... A gain of time and legal security for the employer.

An authoring tool to create your personalized content

With theAuthor tool Didask, easily create tailor-made modules to meet the specificities of your company or sector. An ideal feature for adapting prevention messages, for example.

Intelligent paths thanks to educational AI

THEEducational AI by Didask makes it possible to personalize learning, even for required training. It identifies gaps and proposes adaptive pathways (Adaptive learning) to reinforce the acquisition of knowledge.

A catalog of ready-to-use training courses

The Didask training catalog integrates ready-to-use content written by experts in their field. For example, on security, harassment, risk prevention or even the RGPD. Enough to quickly cover essential needs without mobilizing internal resources.

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Compulsory corporate training is not just a legal formality: it is a strategic issue for the health, performance and compliance of organizations. To meet the requirements of the Labor Code while supporting the evolution of jobs, each employer must integrate these actions into a sustainable and structured approach.

Thanks to innovative tools such as the Didask LMS, enriched by educational AI, the authoring tool and the AI assistant, the management of mandatory training courses becomes fluid, traceable and efficient. It is the promise of an apprenticeship that is both professional and useful and in line with legal obligations.
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