The business landscape — plagued by economic headwinds, trade sanctions, supply chain disruptions, and staffing shortages, amongst others — is a shifting terrain that demands constant adaptation. In this environment, a strong foundation in ethics and compliance (E&C) becomes even more critical.

However, navigating this terrain requires more; it demands a dedicated and ethical workforce. Employees are the backbone of every business, and their decisions and actions all have an impact on an organisation’s reputation, resilience, and ability to adapt.

Yet, a common misconception amongst startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore is the belief that ethics and compliance training is complicated and cumbersome and something that only larger, established organisations and multinational corporations need to deal with.

However, the reality is that E&C is crucial and beneficial to all organisations, large and small, including SMEs. Recent high-profile cases of bribery and corruption, false testimony and even degree forgery serve as a sober reminder that not adopting standards and strategies for E&C training can be detrimental in the long term.

In fact, LRN Corporation’s recent Benchmark of Ethical Culture Report 2024 found that companies with strong ethical cultures outperform those with weak ethical cultures by an average of ~50% across traditional business metrics such as customer satisfaction, employee loyalty, competitiveness, innovation, and adaptability.

Adopting a foundational E&C training programme can help organisations better navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, avoid fines and ethical pitfalls, and build a positive workplace culture where the business and its people can thrive by acting upon shared values. It also contributes towards the building of an organisation’s ethical culture – the values, attitudes and behaviours of individuals and organisations that influence ethical decision-making.

Proper E&C training and up-skilling are more crucial than ever, and building an effective and measurable E&C training programme will look different for every organisation. However, there are a few key concepts that are universal and can help guide organisations, big or small, to ensure a secure and well-supported programme.

Create a clear code of conduct

A code of conduct is a set of principles and expectations that employees are expected to adhere to, and should accurately reflect the organisation’s values, beliefs and aspirations. It includes codifying key policies on anti-discrimination, harassment, data privacy and more.

Serving as a useful guide for employees at various levels to help influence ethical decision-making, the code of conduct should be easily accessible, visually engaging and simple to parse. For instance, by making its code of conduct searchable, web-based and mobile-enabled, a company can ensure that employees can easily consult it regularly to check misconduct parameters or locate a reporting hotline.

Also Read: Empowering change: Singapore’s female-led startup success stories

The code should not just be a check in a box for leadership or employees. To make it a ‘living document’ practised across the organisation, leadership teams need to champion the code and demonstrate the right behaviours, including treating everyone in the organisation with equal respect, acting with integrity and taking a values-based approach to decision-making.

Further strengthen the code of conduct by regularly recognising and rewarding employees who exemplify the code’s values. This encourages a holistic, top-down, bottom-up approach towards E&C.

Identify and avoid cultural hindrances

The fastest growing cohort of workers, Gen Z, is making it known they won’t work for companies whose visible values don’t align with their own. Furthermore, LRN’s Benchmark of Ethical Culture Report has also revealed that 25 per cent of Gen Z and 45 per cent of Millennials surveyed in Singapore find it acceptable to break the rules if needed to get the job done. Such attitudes directly undermine the importance of an organisation’s code of conduct, perpetuating the notion that it’s irrelevant or unimportant.

To prevent this, organisations should also evaluate if a potential new hire’s values align with the organisation’s values and ethical standing. Additionally, retaining employees with strong ethical compasses can help foster and strengthen a positive and inclusive work environment. Ensure that E&C objectives and criteria are inbuilt into performance evaluations – making ethical behaviour a core job requirement while also recognising employees that contribute towards organisational culture.

The importance of relevant and effective E&C programmes

New ethical issues and compliance risks arise all the time. Regulations are constantly being updated with increasing regulatory scrutiny, and a heightened public awareness of ethical issues has put a spotlight on corporate behaviour. Outdated E&C training leaves companies and their employees vulnerable to lapses, penalties, lawsuits, and blowbacks.

Also Read: Navigating the AI maze in Malaysia’s martech: Striking a balance between efficiency and ethics

Organisations need to ensure that their E&C programmes are up-to-date and relevant — equipping employees with training and knowledge to handle new challenges and the latest threats ethically and compliantly.

Start by regularly measuring ethical culture and relevant qualitative key performance indicators, such as behaviour change to determine employees’ compliance and ethical standing against the current code of conduct; and revising training programmes where required. This can help organisations stay ahead of potential misconduct while identifying potential areas of improvement.

Model programmes should also foster alignment across relevant departments such as human resources (HR), legal, compliance, risk and information technology to ensure that all knowledge gaps are addressed. This should be done regularly to ensure that training is up-to-date according to evolving needs.

Additionally, employ the latest technology to make training more engaging and effective. For example, gamified compliance training – utilising points, badges, leaderboards and interactive scenarios – can turn a dry and tedious topic into an enjoyable and stimulating experience that encourages active participation. Pulse surveys can also be incorporated into the gamified training to track sentiment, identify problem areas, measure change over time and benchmark performance.

In today’s ever-evolving business landscape shaped by shifting E&C demands and compliance pressures, companies must mandate an effective E&C training programme that will help inculcate a strong, resilient and positive ethical culture and boost an organisation’s ability to stay ahead of growing uncertainties.

Far from just an optional extra adopted by MNCs, E&C training is crucial to success for organisations of all sizes, and the creation and upkeep of such programmes can empower sustainable growth and resilience.

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Workplace safety is a rising concern in the present times due to the intensity of work going on around the world and the number of human lives dependent on it. It is a much higher concern in labor intensive sectors such as construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and mining. These industries are known for being involved in demanding physical tasks where the application of heavy machinery creates a high-risk environment.

Ensuring the well-being of workers in these sectors is not only mandatory compliance with the regulation but also a moral imperative of every stakeholder. Effective safety protocols, advanced technologies, and a culture of vigilance are essential to mitigate risks and prevent accidents.

According to the International Labour Organisation, the per year count of men and women losing their lives to workplace fatalities and diseases stands at 2.6 million. Making it simpler, this leads to around 6000 deaths per day. Whether it is accidents occurring at the work sites or the occupational diseases that they incur, the rate coming out of it is very concerning.

What is the modern-day solution to ensure safety?

Technology! The answer is simple. With the growing scope of technology, it has extended its solutions to make the workplace safer. Generative AI is a tool that is working towards deriving workplace safety, most importantly in high-risk and labour-intensivesector such as construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and even mining. By using advanced technological solutions based on AI algorithms and models there can be a better solution expected.

One of the applications of Gen AI that has managed to create a significant influence on workplace safety is the development of Chatbots. It has altered the approach of companies to secure their employee well-being and risk management practices.

Five ways to use Gen AI-enabled chatbots for workplace safety

According to Hugo Cheuk, COO, viAct,  “Generative AI can analyse complex datasets from various sources, including historical incident reports and real-time sensor data, to identify and predict risks. This capability enables construction managers to implement timely interventions, thereby preventing accidents and enhancing worker safety.”

Also Read: How AI enhances content creation and sales strategies for live commerce in the Philippines

As rightly pointed out, whether it is a safety officer trying to ensure construction safety or managing an automated incident analysis and reporting in a manufacturing unit, the use of Gen AI can be of good use. The use of AI-powered video analytics in Gen AI-enabled chatbots makes the usage optimum.

Here are five ways where the use of Gen AI-enabled chatbots can be the most effective:

Real-time safety guidance

The best part of Gen AI chatbots is their 24/7 working ability. In contrast to the traditional human monitoring capabilities, these chatbots can provide instant, on-site safety instructions and guidance, ensuring workers have access to accurate safety protocols at all times.

Let’s consider a situation — A worker who is new to a manufacturing unit experiences an equipment malfunction. This can cause hindrance to others at work and there is no time to get back to his supervisor. At this critical point of time, he can ask the chatbot for the correct procedure to handle the malfunction, and receive immediate, precise instructions.

Incident reporting and documentation

The chatbots can be easily integrated with the surveillance system of the worksites. This allows it to take the information from the recorded shreds of evidence and store it in its database. As it is based on large language models (LLMs), these chatbots can hold a much larger quantity of data as compared to a traditional system.

With its storage capabilities, the streamlining of the reporting process for any accidents and even near-misses in the sites becomes easier and more accurate. This process allows the workers to quickly log incidents through conversational interfaces and record them for future requirements.

Personalised safety training

The training sessions provided to the workers are often limited based on the time period and frequency. With AI-driven chatbots, the facility to receive safety briefings as and when desired by the worker gives a good edge. With a Gen AI-enabled chatbot, the training on safety can now be received:

• Customised based on the situation enquired
• Personalised based on the profile of the worker
• Curated in relevance with the previous training performance
• On the Job training facility
• Levelled based on the urgency of the situation
• Obtain Digital Permit-to-Work (PTW)

Example: New employees can receive personalised onboarding safety training through interactive chatbot sessions, ensuring they understand and retain critical information.

Proactive risk assessment

It is one of the main features of having a Gen AI-enabledChatbot. It can retain enough information to detect patterns and present a forecasting scenario. It can analyse data from various sources to predict potential hazards and advise workers on preventive measures.

Also Read: Will China lead the Artificial Intelligence game by 2030?

For instance, the chatbot can alert workers about specific risks based on recent incident trends or environmental conditions along with suggesting the best pre-emptive action to be undertaken. The necessity of PPE compliance in the situation or being aware of vehicle/machinery collisions.

This can be highly effective especially in detecting environmental hazards in crucial working conditions like confined spaces or ensuring drilling rig safety further accurately.

Enhanced communication and support

The role of supervisors can be taken forward by Gen AI chatbots due to their information generating feature. Itensures continuous support by providing answers to safety-related questions, thus reducing the burden on human supervisors and safety officers.

The unavoidable situations that a safety officer needs to undergo can now be managed effectively by using these bots. Workers can ask the chatbot about safety regulations or emergency procedures and receive accurate information instantly, even during off-hours. It can be easily communicated using smart wearables such as smart helmets and vests which can closely monitor the signs shown by the workers.

Conclusion

As we embrace these technologies, the goal is clear: to reduce workplace accidents, ensure compliance with safety regulations, and ultimately, save lives. It is mentioned in a report by McKinsey, that using AI-powered safety monitoring in a sector such as construction can also help to increase productivity levels by 50 per cent.

We envision the future of construction safety, the seamless integration of generative AI and cutting-edge video analytics, combined with the power of large language models, will redefine the landscape, fostering an environment where innovation aligns with safety, setting new standards for industries.

The deployment of AI-driven solutions like chatbots extends the potential of technology to create safer, more efficient, and more productive work environments. By using the power of Gen AI, industries can not only meet but exceed current safety standards, setting a new benchmark for the future.

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