Staying Compliant

 Mandatory Compliance Trainings

As a major institution and federal contractor, the University of Florida is committed to adhering to a variety of federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and procedures. To support this commitment, you will periodically need to complete mandatory training, which may be delivered online or in person.

Regular training helps UF maintain a safe, welcoming environment for both employees and students. It also strengthens our culture of compliance, reducing risks such as harm, financial penalties, lawsuits, government audits and reputational damage.

Different positions may require different types of training. For comprehensive details, visit the UF Compliance Training webpage. Training and Organizational Development (T&OD) collaborates with various departments to centralize compliance training information and record-keeping. You can find more about T&OD’s offerings in the section titled “Professional Development at UF.”

Your immediate supervisor will provide guidance on the specific training you need and its frequency. For example, the “Maintaining a Safe and Respectful Campus: Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Discrimination Awareness and Prevention” (GET803) training is required for all new employees within the first 30 days and must be retaken every two years. New employees can find more information on the UF Welcome website.

Remember to address training reminders promptly. Completing training as soon as you receive a notification will help you stay on top of your compliance requirements.

 Key Regulations & Policies

UF is a large institution with various regulations and policies across different divisions and departments. While some policies apply universally, such as those on Workplace Violence and Drug-Free Workplace, others are specific to particular roles or departments. For instance, our law enforcement officers adhere to different policies compared to our veterinary technicians or UF Information Technology (UFIT) professionals.

Instead of listing every regulation, here are some key resources to guide your understanding:

• UF Regulations and Policies: Review the formal UF Regulations and Policies to familiarize yourself with essential topics. Although these documents may be detailed, they are crucial. For example, all employees should be aware of the prohibition against discrimination and harassment, as well as behaviors considered disruptive and unacceptable. Staff regulations are primarily located in sections 1 and 3 of the UF Regulations.
• Departmental Guidelines: Consult your immediate supervisor to learn about any additional policies or procedures specific to your division, department or role. This may include dress codes, break times, or standard operating procedures relevant to your work area. Your supervisor is the best source for clarifying these expectations.

If you encounter any guidance that seems unclear, seek clarification from your supervisor or UFHR.

For employees covered by collective bargaining agreements (such as UFPD officers, sergeants, police communications operators and lieutenants), refer to the applicable agreement for terms and conditions of employment. All collective bargaining agreements are available online.

As a state agency, UF is required by Florida’s Public Records Act (Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes) to provide certain public records upon request. The law ensures transparency and accountability, allowing the public to review and analyze UF’s records and decisions.

This means many documents you create or receive, including work emails and personnel files, are subject to public disclosure. It’s important to consider whether you’d be comfortable with the content of these documents appearing on the front page of a newspaper. If not, it might be wise to revise them before finalizing and sharing.

Some records are exempt from public disclosure under specific laws.

For instance, student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), and patient medical records are safeguarded by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Additionally, sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers and birthdates, should never be included in emails or attachments, as there’s no need for others to access this data.

Due to certain exceptions to the Public Records Act (such as FERPA, HIPAA, and others), it’s essential that all requests for UF records are properly reviewed and processed. If someone outside UF asks you for documents, and you’re not part of the General Counsel’s Office with public records disclosure as part of your job, you should not provide UF documents to them. Instead, you should forward the request to the university’s Public Records Center, which provides a centralized process to handle such requests.