Effective Date – January 1, 2018
Weinstein Company, NBC, Fox News, don’t be next!
Not a day has gone by in recent months without hearing about a new sexual harassment claim or lawsuit in the media. With the heightened awareness surrounding this new climate of sexual harassment, take the time to protect your company and employees now by staying current on the mandatory training required in California. Make sure the training you’re currently doing isn’t obsolete!
On October 15, 2017, Governor Brown signed into law Senate Bill 396 that went into effect on January 1, 2018. This bill has 2 important components. First, it expands the required content that must be included as part of currently mandated sexual harassment prevention training that employers with 50 or more employees must provide to their supervisors and managers every 2 years. The curriculum must now include instruction on harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation including practical examples. The law also requires that trainers have specific knowledge and expertise in these newly added areas.
In addition, employers with 5 or more employees must immediately display a new Transgender Rights in the Workplace poster and begin distributing updated Sexual Harassment Info Sheets (updated December 2017) to all employees.
To review the text of the Sexual Harassment Legislation in California, click here: SB 396
As a reminder, AB 1825 went into effect in 2006 and applies to employers with 50 or more employees, both inside and outside of California. It requires regular, bi-annual training to all supervisory staff on the prevention of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. In 2015, AB 2053 added the topic of “abusive conduct” aka “bullying” to the required content.
The question we’re all asking is that in today’s new world, can employers really limit their training to the minimum legal requirements? Do we now have a greater incentive to open up a dialogue on this topic with all employees – not just our managers and supervisors? At Vantaggio, we feel that employers can no longer afford to contain these important discussions to a 2-hour session every 2 years and with only a small portion of your staff. We’re encouraging all our clients, even those with less than 50 employees, to train all employees and to initiate conversations of this very pertinent topic across all segments of your organization.
Vantaggio offers a unique 2-hour AB 1825 compliant training that is designed for all employees to attend during the 1st hour, with supervisors and managers remaining for a 2nd hour of content.
Call us today to schedule your 2018 Sexual Harassment Training!
