Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
California law now requires California employers with five or more employees to provide two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to all supervisory employees, and one hour of sexual harassment prevention training to all nonsupervisory employees by January 1, 2021.
To satisfy these new requirements, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) provides free online training for both non-supervisory and supervisor positions.
All California employers have an affirmative duty to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment in the workplace and to promptly correct harassment if it does occur. As part of this duty, California employers must have a written harassment, discrimination and retaliation prevention policy that is distributed to employees. The policy must meet certain strict requirements required by California law.
Bay Area SMACNA will also continue to offer ClickSafety harassment training for a net fee of $18 for the one-hour course, and $27 for the two-hour course per person. As an association, we believe our membership will strengthen as we all work toward a positive environment free of harassment.
At the bottom are some frequently asked questions, designed to keep your company in compliance. This list is not comprehensive and was adapted from the DFEH. For free online training, please visit: https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/shptfaq/
Must Seasonal or Temporary Employees be Trained?
Yes. As of January 1, 2021, employees hired to work for less than six months must be trained within 30 calendar days or 100 hours worked from date of hire, whichever comes first.
What Must Training Cover?
The training must include information and practical guidance regarding federal and state law concerning the prohibition against, and the prevention and correction of, sexual harassment and the remedies available to victims of sexual harassment. The training must also include practical examples of harassment, discrimination and retaliation, as well as information about preventing abusive conduct and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Must Training Be Completed Online? In-Person? All at Once?
Employers may provide live classroom training, online training or may offer another interactive format. Training may be completed by employees individually or as part of a group, and may be completed in segments as long as the hourly requirement is met.
How Often Must Employees be Trained?
Once every two years.