05.21.09
A Reader’s Questions Regarding Sexual Harassment Training
A reader had a question regarding Sexual Harassment Training for managers and supervisors. In California, and for companies based outside of California with operations in California, AB 1825 was signed into law on September 30, 2004 by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This new law requires all companies which employ more than 50 employees to provide supervisors with 2 hours of sexual harassment training every two years. The first round of training had to be completed by January 1, 2006.
The 50 or more employees includes contractors and temporary employees. It’s worth mentioning again, that if a company is headquartered in another state but has employees operating in California, no matter how few, it is required to offer the training. There were some challenges to the bill by out-of-state employers who have less than 50 employees actually based in California, but the California Housing Commission ruled that the total number of employees working for the company determined whether or not AB 1825 was required, not the number physically located in the state of California. In addition, they ruled it is better to be safe than sorry, so it’s a wise business decision to train every supervisor rather than face the prospects of being out of compliance.
This law has also been adopted in other states, and has generated hundreds of hours of training programs. New hires must be trained within six months of hire, and government compliance must be strictly adhered to. Companies who fail to meet this legally required training could face critical penalties in the event of a sexual harassment complaint.
Regardless of which state you are from, does your company offer sexual harassment training to your managers and supervisors? Does it offer training to all employees? If you want to find out about sexual harassment training, the first step is to contact your Human Resources or Personnel Department, and your department Supervisor to learn more about company programs. If your company does not offer training, contact us for more resources on how to initiate sexual harassment awareness, education and training.
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