Question:
Do virtual assistants and remote employees need OSHA and HIPAA training?
Answer:
OSHA
- All in-office staff members require OSHA training. OSHA has both clinical and non-clinical standards.
- Regarding remote employees, OSHA does not hold employers liable for employees' home offices (see this reference from OSHA). However, OSHA guidelines like workplace violence prevention are still relevant to remote employees.
- Our online-based training would likely be broader in scope than necessary for remote employees since it includes all OSHA standards. So, for your virtual staff members, we'd recommend ensuring they have workplace violence and/or anti-harassment training. You can facilitate this training yourself if you so choose.
HIPAA
- All staff members who have access to patient data require HIPAA training, regardless of whether they are remote.
- HIPAA does not specify a timeframe for training—it just says "periodic," but we recommend it annually, and our certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
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The Real Talk article series includes real customer questions and our answers. Since these are questions directly from actual clinics, practices, hospitals, and businesses, we thought you might have these questions too. We hope that you find this format helpful. Stay tuned for more Real Talk - your question might even be featured!