As workplace compliance standards sharpen across the United States and Canada, 2025 is shaping up to be a turning point in mandatory employee training.
From construction safety to anti-money laundering and language rights, employers can’t afford to lag behind.
This guide breaks down the most critical training mandates now in force—or looming—so you can stay ahead of legal exposure and workforce risk.
Why 2025 Is a Compliance Game-Changer
For years, regulatory training has been a “check-the-box” affair. But in 2025, that’s no longer good enough.
Heightened oversight, evolving workforce protections, and region-specific requirements demand purposeful, role-specific trainingwith real operational impact.
Let’s explore the legal requirements shaking up training programs in both the United States and Canada.
United States: Compliance Starts with OSHA, but Doesn’t End There
1. OSHA Training Rules: Expanded Scope, Higher Stakes
Construction PPE Fit Requirements (Effective Jan 13, 2025)
- PPE must “properly fit” each employee in the construction industry—addressing years of concerns from women and diverse body types.
- Training impact: Supervisors and safety leads need instruction on selecting, assessing, and issuing body-inclusive PPE.
Updated Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)
- In effect July 19, 2024, adopting the UN’s 7th GHS revision.
- Training must cover:
- New labeling systems
- Enhanced Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
- Clearer internal communication on chemical hazards
Proposed Heat Injury Standard (Drafted July 2024)
- Requires Heat Injury & Illness Prevention Plans (HIIPP) including:
- Indoor/outdoor heat monitoring
- Scheduled shade, water, and rest breaks
- Training on recognizing and responding to heat stress
- Applies across construction, maritime, general industry, and agriculture
- Note: May face delays depending on political appointments at OSHA
Emergency Response Standard (Proposed)
- Expands training requirements beyond fire brigades to include all employer-provided responders.
- Organizations must reassess training content for:
- Firefighters
- EMS personnel
- Tactical response teams
New Walkaround Rule (Effective May 31, 2024)
- Non-employee reps like union officials or engineers can join OSHA inspections.
- Training implication: Managers and compliance leads must be prepared to engage with external observers during inspections.
2. Wage & Hour Compliance Training: FLSA Salary Rule Whiplash
- Proposed increase to $1,128/week for exempt status (white-collar roles) was vacated by federal court in late 2024.
- Training must adapt to:
- The discrepancy between proposed vs. enforceable salary thresholds
- Correct classification of exempt vs. non-exempt employees
3. DOT/FMCSA Training: Safety and Environment in the Driver’s Seat
Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
- In 2025, ELDT expands to include:
- Defensive driving
- Environmental best practices
- Fatigue and stress management
- Required for new and current commercial drivers
Cargo Securement & Vehicle Safety (Effective April 1, 2025)
- New CVSA OOS criteria impact:
- Brake systems
- Lighting equipment
- Suspensions
- Load security
- Companies must update training programs to ensure drivers avoid out-of-service designations.
4. AML/BSA/KYC Training: Risk-Based, Not One-Size-Fits-All
FinCEN’s 2025 NPRM requires:
- Risk-based AML/CFT programs
- Mandatory, role-specific staff training
- Internal controls and independent testing
- Even as redundant civil penalty rules are phased out, training is under sharper scrutiny than ever.
5. COVID-19: Rulemaking Closed, But Safety Culture Lives On
- OSHA terminated its COVID‑19 healthcare rulemaking as of January 15, 2025.
- No new mandates, but best-in-class organizations continue respiratory protection and infection control training as best practices, not obligations.
6. Recent Data Privacy & Protection Updates
Federal Developments & Proposed Legislation
- My Body, My Data Act (June 11, 2025): Introduced by U.S. lawmakers (Jacobs, Hirono, Wyden), this bipartisan bill would restrict the collection, use, retention, or disclosure of reproductive and menstrual health data unless essential for the service provided.
- Privacy Act Modernization Act of 2025: Proposed by Senators Wyden, Markey, Merkley, and Van Hollen to update the 1974 Privacy Act—reinforcing data minimization, limits on government disclosures, and civil rights protections.
- Traveler Privacy Protection Act: Introduced to curb TSA’s facial recognition use, making opt-in the default and mandating data deletion post-verification
AI & Biometric Data Regulation
- California SB 976: Goes into effect January 1, 2025, imposing parental consent for “addictive” feeds and restricted notifications for under-18s unless authorized.
- Texas & Colorado have passed AI-related privacy laws including restrictions on algorithmic discrimination and transparency mandates
HIPAA & Health Data
- OCR (HHS) ramped up enforcement in 2025, with a proposed rule expanding HIPAA’s Security Rule. New requirements include mandatory risk assessments, encryption, MFA, and social engineering training in response to rising ransomware attacks
Canada: From Labour Code to Language Rights
1. Canada Labour Code (Bill C‑58): No Scabs, No Exceptions (Effective June 20, 2025)
- Federally regulated employers (banks, airlines, telecoms, etc.) can’t use:
- Contractors
- Volunteers
- Replacement workers during strikes/lockouts
- HR and line managers must be trained on:
- What counts as a violation
- How to navigate labor disruptions without breaching the law
2. Quebec’s Expanded Francization Law
- New requirement: Workplaces with 25–49 employees must undergo OQLF registration and francization.
- Businesses must now:
- Assess linguistic profile
- Create a francization program if needed
- Employees and managers will need French-language workplace training as part of this compliance push.
3. Transport Canada: Expanded Safety Training Requirements
Commercial Drivers
- Mandatory ELDT includes:
- Fatigue management
- Defensive driving
- Eco-driving
Microdrone Operators (Effective April 1, 2025)
- Need Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for:
- Public events
- Specific drone sizes
- Updated training materials published in the March 2025 Aeronautical Information Manual
Marine Sector
- Pending regulations likely to require:
- PFD/lifejacket usage training
- Emergency readiness modules
4. Ontario’s AODA Push Intensifies
- 2025 marks the province’s target for full accessibility compliance.
- Training must cover:
- Inclusive communication
- Accessible customer service
- Accommodation policies
- E-learning resources now widely available, but employer enforcement is ramping up.
5. Data Privacy & Protection Provincial Reforms
Quebec – Law 25
- Fully in force as of September 22, 2024: Implements sweeping privacy reforms including mandatory data breach notifications, appointment of privacy officers, biometrics oversight, privacy impact assessments, right to data portability, and punitive fines (up to CAD $25 M or 4% of global revenue).
Ontario – Bill 194
- Royal Assent November 25, 2024. Requires the public sector to publish AI usage transparently, implement AI risk management, and develop internal AI accountability frameworks under FIPPA amendments.
Alberta – Bills 33 & 34
- Introduced November 6, 2024. Bill 33 strengthens privacy protections in public sector, mandating breach notifications, transparency in automated decision-making, and banning sale of personal information.
BC – PIPA
- BC Supreme Court ruled that BC’s private sector privacy law (PIPA) applies also to out-of-province (e.g., U.S.) firms serving BC residents through digital channels.
Cybersecurity & Cross-Border Initiatives
- February 6, 2025: Canada launched its new National Cyber Security Strategy focusing on resilience, detection, and mitigation of cyber threats.
- Quebec’s Health Information Law (July 2024) now tightens privacy around health and social service information.
The Hidden Risk Lurking in 2025 Compliance Reforms
Here’s a hard truth regulators won’t spell out—but will absolutely act on: documentation.
In 2025, it’s no longer enough to say you’ve trained your staff. You need to track it, timestamp it, and be ready to prove it—to regulators, auditors, and even in court.
That means you need to be able to answer:
- When was it completed?
- How was it delivered—and was it role-appropriate?
- Were there follow-ups or assessments?
- Can you show the audit trail
This is where many businesses fumble.
Relying on scattered spreadsheets, outdated systems, or paper checklists isn’t cutting it anymore.
Enter Varsi.
Varsi helps teams not only deliver the right training—whether it’s OSHA, FLSA, AML, AODA, or DOT—but prove it with airtight records, automated reminders, and compliance dashboards built for scale.
2025 demands more than good intentions. It requires operationalized compliance—training that’s targeted, trackable, and defensible.
If you’re serious about staying ahead, Varsi makes sure you’re not just compliant but confidently covered. To see a live demo, tap the button below
blog.tryvarsi.com 
Leave a comment