Required training courses: are they paid, and why does a course keep restarting?
Last updated: August 25, 2026
Applies to: Workers assigned required training courses during onboarding — most often US W-2 employees, because these courses are usually an employment or state-law requirement. Independent contractors are generally not assigned them and will not see this step.
Summary: Some assignments require training courses (for example harassment prevention, workplace violence prevention, or a state safety programme such as California's Injury and Illness Prevention Program). You must both finish the course and pass its quiz for it to count. Time spent on required training is paid.
Are required trainings paid?
Yes. If Ascen assigned the training as a requirement of your assignment, the time is treated as paid time. Training hours are added to your record once you have completed the course, and they show up on an upcoming paycheck — usually the next one after completion.
If you have finished a required course and do not see the time reflected in your pay, email support@ascen.com and tell us which course you completed and when. Do not enter training time on your timesheet yourself unless you have been told to.
Why a course keeps sending me back to the start
Courses can be configured to require a passing score, not just completion. If you finish the material but do not pass the quiz, the course is not marked complete and you will be asked to take it again. That is the most common reason a course appears to reset after you thought you had finished it.
To get through it:
Work through the full course, not just the quiz — some courses only count the quiz once the material has been viewed.
Get a passing score on the quiz. If you do not pass, you will need to retake it.
Let the course finish and return you to Ascen before you close the tab, so your result is recorded.
Use the personal course link sent to you rather than a link forwarded by someone else, so your progress is tracked against your account.
If you have passed but it still shows as incomplete
Course results are recorded by the training system and synced back to your onboarding checklist, so there can be a short delay. If you have passed and the step is still blocking you, email support@ascen.com — we can check the recorded result and reset your enrolment if it did not register.
If you already did this training somewhere else
If you completed the same training recently through another employer and have a certificate, email support@ascen.com with the certificate. We can record training completed outside the platform in some cases. Do not assume it will be accepted — wait for confirmation before treating the step as done.