Sexual harassment training is mandatory in California. Under the California Government Code section 12950.1 as amended by Senate Bill No. 1343, employers with five or more employees are required to provide interactive sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training by January 1, 2021. 

 

Who must receive this training? Nonsupervisory employees must receive at least one hour of training and two hours for those in supervisory roles once every two years. For both new nonsupervisory and supervisory employees, training must be provided within six months of being hired or assuming the supervisor position. 

 

Training must include information about the federal and state laws on the prohibition and prevention of sexual harassment, as well as the remedies available to victims. Harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, including practical examples of each should also be a component of the training.

 

The state also requires that the training be led by a “qualified trainer,” which may include an attorney who has practiced employment law for at least two years, a human resources professional who has at least two years of practical experience in harassment prevention training, or any other person who has been trained by a qualified trainer.