Easy (and Fun) Ways to Bring Awareness to Your Compliance Program

National Compliance and Ethics Week has kicked off for 2021, from November 7-13. Now is a  great time to increase knowledge and draw attention to your organization’s compliance program.

One of the most critical parts of a compliance program is awareness. A compliance program doesn’t do an organization any good if nobody in the organization knows about it. So here are some ideas to utilize compliance and ethics week to its fullest potential by raising awareness about compliance and ethics.

1. An activity a day for the week:
   Kick off the week with some short and fun activities to bring the compliance program to top off the mind. For example, I knew of an organization that created a passport book, and each day there was a different compliance question or scenario for participants to answer. After participating in that day’s compliance activity, they would get a stamp in their passport book. If they could turn in a fully stamped passport book for the week, signifying daily participation, they would get some compliance department SWAG and enter a drawing for more prizes.
2. Use video:
   Create a short video that includes clips of leaders in the organization saying why they feel compliance and ethics is essential to the organization. Compile all the clips into one video or send a video clip a day to all employees via email.
3. SWAG! (Stuff We All Get)
   In addition to the idea shared in item #1, set up some tables with compliance and ethics signs at key entrances to the organization. Have compliance (or better yet, executive leaders) spend some time at the table handing out SWAG with compliance info printed on it. For example, computer mouse pads with the hotline number or website printed on them make great SWAG. Or maybe your compliance office has a mascot, and you could hand out small stuffed animals of the mascot, again with the hotline number printed somewhere. Other popular SWAG to print your compliance contact on might include pens, paper pads, sticky notes, calendars, or fidget spinners. The idea is to flood the organization with visual reminders of the compliance and ethics program.
4. Food:
   Food and treats are also always welcome. Maybe set up a table or bucket full of goodies in the lunch and break rooms. Again, have printed material associated with the compliance department, so you share compliance program awareness and sugar.
5. Puzzles:
   Consider compliance crossword puzzles or word find puzzles. Maybe even challenge everyone’s intellect by testing people on policies, the organization’s values, or critical compliance initiatives you are trying to complete this year.
6. Laugh!
   Sometimes the best way to make the compliance program seem more approachable is with humor. Have a contest for the best compliance-related meme or GIF, and then publish some honorable mentions or runners-up before revealing the winner for the week.

These are just some of the many ways you can celebrate compliance and ethics week while raising awareness of your compliance and ethics program. We’d also love to hear your ideas or activities for compliance and ethics weeks. Share with your colleagues by responding to our blog below or visit our website, and we can create a virtual bank of ideas for this year and future years for Compliance and Ethics Week!

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