Tick Tock – Time is Running out for Anti-Harassment Training!
If you have not conducted the required anti-harassment training in 2020 for your supervisors and employees, your time is running out to be in compliance with California law.
Here are the key parts of the harassment training regulations:
- By January 1, 2021 employers with 5 or more employees must provide 2 hours of harassment training to their supervisors and 1 hour of harassment training to their non-supervisory employees.
- This training must be provided to employees every 2 years after the initial training.
- Beginning January 1, 2021, new employees and supervisors hired in 2021 must receive harassment training within 6 months of hire or promotion.
- Temporary or seasonal employees who are hired to work less than 6 months must receive harassment training within 30 days or 100 hours worked, whichever occurs sooner.
- If an employer conducted harassment training meets all the requirements in 2019, they do not need to repeat it in 2020. However, they will need to repeat it in 2021 within 2 years of the 2019 training date.
The California regulations have strict requirements on what needs to be included in the harassment training and who is qualified to teach the training. If the training does not meet these requirements, the employer will not be in compliance with state law.
For example, the training needs to include information on the definition of harassment and discrimination, ways to identify abusive conduct, how and to whom in the company an employee should make a complaint and the government agencies an employee can contact if the employer does not investigate the complaint properly. In addition to the other forms of harassment, the training must also include information on harassment and discrimination in regards to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
The law requires the person conducting the training to meet certain strict requirements in regards to their knowledge and experience in conducting training classes and with handling issues of harassment in the workplace. They also need to be able to effectively deliver a training that is interactive and keeps the participants engaged for the entire length of the training.
How Can SDHRC Help?
Most employers do not have someone inside their company who meets the California requirements to be a harassment trainer. SDHR Consulting has consultants who are well versed in harassment and discrimination issues in the workplace and who meet the California requirements for conducting this training. They will customize the training to your workforce and provide a fun and interactive experience for your employees.
We are able to provide this training safely in person or via a live webinar. To accommodate all schedules, we also have individual on-line training for employees to take the training modules according to their own schedule. All training is offered in English and in Spanish! Whatever may be your preference, we have you covered!
Do you have a discrimination or harassment complaint and don’t know what to do? We can help! Our experienced consultants can assist you with guidance and even jump in with a legal and effective investigation should that be required to resolve the complaint.
