December 18, 2008

California’s Sexual Harassment
Training Deadline Nears. 
Are You in Compliance?

Does your company

• have 50 or more employees?
• have employees with the authority to hire, suspend, promote, discipline, or reward employees, direct the work of other employees, or resolve conflicts?
• have employees who were hired or promoted to supervisor in the last six months?
• have supervisors who were unable to attend a recent mandatory company-sponsored training session?

If so, then your organization (including public agencies and school districts) is subject to a California law which requires all managers or supervisors to attend sexual harassment training every two years.
In addition, AB 1825 requires California employers with 50 or more employees (including temps, independent contractors, and those outside the state) to provide newly hired or promoted supervisors with sexual harassment training within six months of assuming a supervisor position.  Therefore, all managers initially trained in 2006 must be retrained by December 31, 2008.
Businesses whose supervisors do not complete the training may be subject to a corrective order from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, as well as increased exposure to harassment claims.
We are your compliance solution.
The law requires interactive training that takes at least two hours to complete. 
Video training alone may not suffice unless it is led by a qualified instructor.
We can help your business easily meet its year-end obligations by providing a live training session for your supervisors.  The interactive training is performed here in our office by members of Hoge Fenton’s Employment Law Group.  Our program will address what sexual harassment is, and how to avoid it in your workplace.  Participants will leave with a thorough understanding of California law as it pertains to sexual harassment.

Other Important Reminders for 2009

• Plan to attend Hoge Fenton’s annual Employment Law Update seminar in late January (separate invitation to follow)