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Updated: November 17, 2023
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Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, however employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Alabama State Board of Human Resources.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, however employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, however employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, however employers are encouraged to:
Updated November 13, 2023
Harassment training required. Employers with five or more employees must train all employees and supervisors within six months of their start date, and then retrain every two years. An employer who has provided this training and education to an employee is not required to provide refresher training and education again until two years thereafter.
Supervisory employees
Nonsupervisory employees
Finally, any training must include questions that assess learning, skill-building activities to assess understanding and application of content, and hypothetical scenarios about harassment with discussion questions.
More information is available from the Civil Rights Department (CRD) of California.
Updated November 13, 2023
Harassment training is not required, however, it is highly recommended. Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from Colorado’s Civil Rights Department
Updated November 13, 2023
Harassment training required.
More information is available from Connecticut’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training required only if employees are tipped. This training must be developed by the D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR) or presented by an OHR-certified provider.
More information is available from the Council of the District of Columbia.
Updated November 13, 2023
Employers with 50 or more employees must provide interactive training and education on the prevention of sexual harassment. Employers must train new employees, including supervisors, within a year of their start date and every two years after that. Exceptions are:
The training must cover:
Special training for supervisors must include:
Format
More information is available from the Delaware General Assembly.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees, but it is highly recommended. Training on affirmative action and equal opportunity, including sexual harassment training, is required for all supervisors in Florida government executive branch agencies.
More information is available from Florida’s Commission on Human Relations.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but it is recommended.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training not required, but encouraged. The state encourages employers to take any necessary preventative measures against sexual harassment. Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from Hawaii’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is recommended but not required. The Idaho Human Rights Commission states: Effective policies and employee training can go a long way towards discouraging improper conduct before it becomes serious enough to violate the law.
More information is available from Idaho’s Human Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
All employers must provide this training at least once a year, with recordkeeping. Additional training required for restaurants and bars. The Department of Human Rights will develop and adopt a sexual harassment training program, which all employers will use, unless they establish another that “equals or exceeds the minimum standards provided by the model.”
The training must include:
Additional requirements for restaurants and bars
The law requires all bars and restaurants to provide employees a written sexual harassment policy in English and Spanish within the first calendar week of employment, and supplemental training in English and Spanish.
The policy must include:
Recordkeeping
Employers must report to the IDHR the number of adverse judgments or administrative rulings involving sexual harassment and unlawful discrimination on a yearly basis.
More information is available from the Illinois General Assembly.
All employers in Chicago must provide training to employees:
The training must include:
Recordkeeping
Employers must maintain, for least five years, or for the duration of any claim, civil action, or investigation pending pursuant to this section, whichever is longer, a record of the employer’s written policy document prohibiting sexual harassment and trainings given to each employee, and records necessary to demonstrate compliance with this chapter.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but is recommended.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from Indiana’s Civil Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees. However, Iowa’s Civil Rights Commission strongly recommends that all employers take measures to prevent incidents from occurring in the workplace, per Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. This may include:
All state government agency employees must attend affirmative action, cultural diversity, and sexual harassment prevention training.
More information is available from Iowa’s Civil Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees, but is recommended. Employees and interns of Kansas executive government agencies must take annual sexual harassment training. The Kansas Human Rights Commission provides an online harassment training program on its website.
More information is available from the Kansas Human Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees. State employees receive sexual harassment training once every two years.
More information is available from the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
The state requires all state employees to receive one hour of harassment training each year, and supervisors must receive additional training. No training is required for private-sector employees.
More information is available from the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
Harassment training required. Employers with 15 or more employees must use a checklist developed by the Maine Department of Labor in developing the sexual harassment training program, with recordkeeping. They must use this checklist to train every employee within one year of his or her start date. They must also offer additional training to managers and supervisors, and post in a prominent and accessible location their sexual harassment policy.
Compliance checklist
The Maine Department of Labor provides a mandatory compliance checklist for employers covering the education and training requirements. Employers must use this checklist to develop a sexual harassment training program and must keep a record of the training, including a record of employees who have received the required training for at least three years. Records must be made available for departmental inspection upon request.
The training for all employees must include:
Additional training for supervisory and managerial employees must include:
Recordkeeping
Workplace posting
An employer is required to post in a poster in a prominent and accessible location in the workplace that includes:
Employee notification
Employers are required to annually provide all employees with individual written notice that includes the following:
More information is available from the Maine State Legislature.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required for private-sector employees. Executive, judicial, and legislative branch state employees generally must complete at least two hours of in-person or virtual interactive training on sexual harassment prevention within six months after the employee’s initial appointment and every two-year period thereafter.
The Maryland Commission on Human Relations does encourage employers to take steps to prevent sexual harassment.
In deciding the outcome of a sexual harassment case, the agency will favorably consider the preventative steps the employer has taken.
To reduce exposure to charges of sexual harassment, employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the State of Maryland Commission on Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but it is encouraged. Massachusetts’ Fair Employment Practices Act encourages employers and labor organizations to conduct an education and training program for new employees and members, within one year of commencement of employment or membership.
The law does require a sexual harassment policy to be written out for companies of six or more employees. Employers must distribute a written version of their sexual harassment policy annually to all employees and to each new employee at the beginning of employment.
More information is available from the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD).
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required. The department of civil rights is required to offer training programs to all employers, labor organizations and employment agencies to assist in understanding requirements.
More information is available from the Michigan Civil Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but is recommended as a best practice.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees. All state employees must take an online sexual harassment training course.
More information is available from the Mississippi State Personnel Board.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but is recommended as a best practice.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but is recommended as a best practice.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Montana Human Rights Bureau.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required. However, according to the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission, employers need to have an effective complaint process, provide anti-harassment training to all employees, and take immediate and appropriate action when an individual complains.
More information is available from the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees. State employee training is required and they offer online training.
More information is available from the Nevada Equal Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but is recommended as a best practice.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees. New Jersey state government employees and supervisors are required to be trained and they provide online training.
More information is available from the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but is recommended as a best practice.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training required. All employers must provide employees with annual, interactive sexual harassment training. You may use the model sexual harassment prevention training program provided by the NYDHR and New York Department or Labor (NYDOL), or establish a program that equals or exceeds those standards. Employers are not required to provide additional training to supervisors or managers.
The training must be interactive:
It may be online, or in-person. It may not consist only of watching a training video or reading a document with no feedback mechanism or interaction.
Recordkeeping
No signed acknowledgment of having read the policy is required, but employers are encouraged to keep a signed acknowledgment and retain a copy of training records. Records may be helpful in addressing any future complaints or lawsuits.
New York City employers with 15 or more employees — including contractors and interns — must comply with the New York State laws, but there are additional training requirements under the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act. Employers are required to train employees annually and are encouraged to train new employees as soon as possible. This applies to any employees who work more than 80 hours in a calendar year and work for at least 90 days. Employers may provide their own training or use the online training module developed by the NYCCHR and shared on the agency’s website.
The training must be interactive, which means participatory teaching that engages the trainee using:
Recordkeeping
Employers must keep a record of all training, including a signed employee acknowledgment (which may be electronic) for at least three years.
Updated November 16, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees but is recommended. All state agencies are required to develop a plan for unlawful workplace harassment that includes training and other methods to educate state employees.
More information is available from the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required but is recommended.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required but state law recommends it. However, according to the Ohio Administrative Code, “Prevention is the best tool for the elimination of sexual harassment.
To reduce exposure to charges of sexual harassment, employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Ohio Administrative Code.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required for private-sector employees, but is recommended. All state personnel who investigate complaints of discrimination are required to be trained in the areas of equal opportunity (including sexual harassment), discrimination and burdens of proof.
More information is available from the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is recommended but not required. According to the Oregon Government Technical Assistance for Employers, training for staff is essential. “Employers should have departmental or unit meetings to explain policies and grievance procedures, so that all employees understand what is prohibited conduct and how to complain about it.”
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required for private-sector employees. All state government agency employees are required to receive sexual harassment prevention training, which may include written materials, educational videos, orientation sessions, workplace discussions, and individual counseling.
More information is available from the Pennsylvania Office of Administration.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is encouraged for employers with 50 employees or more, but is not required. Employers are also encouraged to conduct an education and training program for new employees, within one year of their hire date. Employers are encouraged to conduct additional training for new supervisory and managerial employees which shall include their specific responsibilities and the methods they should use to address sexual harassment complaints. Employers and appropriate state agencies are encouraged to cooperate in making this training available. Employers should provide copies of their written policies on sexual harassment to all employees upon their request.
Employers should adopt a policy against sexual harassment that includes:
Recordkeeping
Employers shall be required to maintain copies of their written policies on sexual harassment at their business premises, and copies of such policies shall be made available to any state or federal employment discrimination enforcement agency upon request.
More information is available from the state of Rhode Island General Assembly.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required but is a recommended best practice.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is recommended but not required. The South Dakota Division of Human Rights of the Department of Labor and Regulation urges prevention.
Employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is required for state employees, only. There is no training requirement for private-sector employees, however employers are encouraged to:
For more information is available from the Tennessee Human Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
Required for state government employees within 30 days of the start of employment, with supplemental training every two years thereafter. No training is required for private-sector employees, however employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Texas Workforce Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is required for state employees. However, there’s no training requirement for private-sector employees, but employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from the Utah Labor Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training is required, however employers are encouraged to:
Vermont’s Fair Employment Practices Act states:
More information is available from the State of Vermont Human Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training required for private-sector employees, however employers are encouraged to:
Legislative branch employees are required to complete sexual harassment.
Every legislative branch employee shall once every two calendar years complete a sexual harassment training course provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates or the Office of the Clerk of the Senate. See training requirements.
More information is available from the Virginia Employment Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
The training must include content on:
Who receives training:
Additionally, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries has more information on isolated workers protections. State government employees are required to complete sexual harassment awareness and prevention training at least every five years. New state government employees must complete the training within the first six months after hire, or earlier if required by the state government employer’s sexual harassment policy.
More information is available from the Washington State Legislature.
Updated November 13, 2023
Although training is not required for private-sector employees, the state has a model sexual harassment policy for state agencies that encourages the creation off a harassment policy, and training of employees.
More information is available from the West Virginia Human Rights Commission.
Updated November 13, 2023
Training is not required, but it is recommended. The Department of Workforce Development has a harassment information resource that encourages employers to:
More information is available from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Updated November 13, 2023
No training required for private-sector employees, however employers are encouraged to:
More information is available from Wyoming’s Department of Workforce Services.
More and more state governments are requiring employers to provide sexual harassment training to their employees. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) receives an average of more than 25,000 workplace harassment complaints per year. These incidents lead to a demoralized workforce, lost productivity, or worse. So even if your state doesn’t require you to offer harassment training, it’s a good practice. And if you’re wondering what your state requires of you, we’ve pulled together this helpful guide.
Note that even if your state isn’t updating the laws right now, this could change in the future. Being proactive on this issue is both a best practice and a way to build a strong culture in your workplace. Even if you have a smaller business without an HR department or manager, these training programs are an important part of creating a positive work environment and curbing workplace harassment. We recommend taking steps now to not only be legally compliant and to shield yourself from liability for harassment suits, but to also provide a safe, engaging work experience for your employees.