Washington University in St. Louis has several compliance requirements underway this fall. Employees should complete the annual Code of Conduct training, adhere to the requirements of an updated influenza vaccination policy and finish a HIPAA refresher training course. IT staff and distributed IT partners across campus are asked to review the deadlines and requirements below.
Code of Conduct training due Oct. 23
The university’s annual Code of Conduct training is now available through Workday Learning, and all community members are required to complete the training and attestation each year.
The requirement, established by the chancellor and the university’s Board of Trustees, asks employees to affirm their commitment to the highest ethical standards and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and university policies while carrying out their duties.
Training was assigned Sept. 8 and must be completed by 5 p.m. Oct. 23 in Workday Learning. An email from Workday (wustl@myworkday.com) notified individuals that the training had been assigned, and reminder emails will continue until the requirement is complete. Employees are encouraged to make sure Workday notifications are turned on. Instructions and an FAQ are available to help guide employees through the process.
For technical support, call (314) 935-WDAY or submit a request through ServiceNow.
Mandatory flu vaccination policy now in effect
WashU’s 2026 influenza vaccination policy requires certain employees to receive a flu shot by 5 p.m. Nov. 16. Employees in the following categories are asked to schedule an appointment now, or request a medical exemption, to comply with the requirement:
- Employees who work at a WashU Medicine location or in a WashU Medicine hybrid position
- EPIC 1 team members
- Medical Advancement employees
- Danforth employees at the WashU Police Department
- Student Health – Danforth employees
- Employees at the Brown School of Public Health’s Duncan Avenue location
Remote employees, as designated by Work Location in Workday, are exempt unless they visit a WashU Medicine campus location before March 31, 2027. Employees who plan to be on campus between Nov. 16 and March 31, 2027, will be required to submit vaccine documentation.
Key dates for the policy include:
- Aug. 1, 2026: Earliest date a flu shot counts toward this season’s compliance
- Nov. 2: Deadline to request a vaccine exemption
- 5 p.m. Nov. 16: Deadline to complete vaccination and submit documentation
- 12 p.m. Nov. 17: Employees without documentation or an approved exemption could face HR action
Employees vaccinated through WashU Occupational Health or the WashU peer vaccination program do not need to upload documentation. Anyone vaccinated elsewhere, including at CVS, Walgreens or BJC Healthcare, must upload proof in Workday.
For clinic dates, locations and exemption details, visit flu.washu.edu. Questions can be directed to fluvaccine@wustl.edu.
FY-27 HIPAA refresher training newly assigned
Each year, eligible WashU workforce members are required to complete Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) refresher training. The FY-2027 training was officially assigned July 1, and employees have until June 30, 2027 to complete the requirement.
According to the WashU HIPAA Privacy Office, workforce members who are part of the university’s HIPAA-covered entity must complete the annual refresher. That includes all WashU Medicine workforce members, as well as non-School of Medicine workforce members who work in a covered component or support the business functions of the covered entity.
All HIPAA training is now available through Workday Learning. Every course has been updated with more interactive, scenario-based content designed to connect policy requirements to real-world scenarios.
The refresher is designed to be quick, typically taking about 25 minutes to complete. While the full course covers a range of HIPAA privacy and security requirements, the HIPAA Privacy Office also offers role-specific versions focused on research, clinical and general staff, and physicians, so workforce members can see how HIPAA applies directly to their daily work. Across all versions, the training reinforces that every workforce member — clinical, research, administrative or support — has a direct responsibility to protect Protected Health Information, or PHI.
Workforce members can meet the FY-27 refresher requirement by completing one of the HIPAA courses in Workday Learning, attending a HIPAA-sponsored Zoom refresher session, or attending a department-specific refresher session.
Workforce members are encouraged to complete the refresher soon to support the university’s privacy commitments and protect patients, research participants and colleagues.
Questions about HIPAA requirements or training can be directed to the WashU HIPAA Privacy Office at hipaa@wustl.edu. Additional information and resources are available on the WashU HIPAA website, and more details can be found on the WashU HIPAA Privacy Office’s training page.