As of January 1, 2021, all employers with 5 or more employees must participate in Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. SB 1343 requires that all employers of five (5) or more employees provide 1-hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-managerial employees and 2-hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduction prevention training to managerial employees every two years. Existing law requires the training to include harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation and to include practical examples of such harassment. This training is to be provided by trainers or educators with knowledge and expertise in those areas. The bill also requires the Department of Fair Housing and Employment to produce and post both training courses to its website, which employers may utilize instead of hiring a trainer.
This is good news for you! We have done some research and found free online training courses. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing provides free online training courses on preventing sexual harassment and abusive conduct in the workplace that satisfy California’s legal training requirements according to Gov’t Code 12950.1. Along with the training, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing also provides a toolkit, found here. For a list of commonly asked questions, click here. To view the free online training, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the “continue” button.
Here are some quick questions and answers to better understand your requirements:
By what date must I be trained?
All employees must receive training by January 1, 2021. Employers of 5 or more employees have an existing and ongoing obligation to train new supervisory employees with six months of assuming their supervisory position. New nonsupervisory employees must be trained within six months of hire. Employees must be retrained once every two years.
If I am a temporary or seasonal employee, must I be trained?
Yes. If you were hired to work for less than six months, you must be trained within 30 calendar days from when you began working or 100 hours of work, whichever occurs first.
If I am an independent contractor, volunteer, or unpaid intern, must I be trained?
No.
Must the training be online, done individually, or completed all at once?
No. Your employer may provide training live in a classroom, online, or any other effective, interactive format. The training may be completed by employees individually or as a part of a group presentation, and may be completed in segments as long as the applicable hourly total requirement is met.
What if I received the training in compliance with Gov. Code 12950.1 within the prior two years either from a current, prior, alternate, or joint employer? Do I have to take the training again?
No. See this document regarding Duplicate Training for more information.