Sexual Harassment Training Requirements By State
Update: Read our new blog post with 2018 US state-specific sexual harassment prevention training requirement updates.
Sexual harassment hurts everyone. It has obvious effects on the victim: physical and emotional distress, isolation from coworkers, and decreased performance. However, it also poses a threat to businesses. Sexual harassment lawsuits are stressful and expensive. It is essential that employers protect themselves by creating safe work environments. By training their employees, managers, and supervisors, employees can improve productivity by boosting employee morale and significantly reduce the chances of being sued for sexual harassment.
In addition to making the right business decision, many states require companies to offer sexual harassment training for employees. The OpenSesame elearning marketplace offers a wide variety of online sexual harassment prevention training courses targeted to managers and employees in any business context. Use the table below to discover the training requirements for your state and select the online training courses you can use to ensure your company or organization is in compliance with requirements.
Listed below is a list of the state by state sexual harassment training requirements, as well as the OpenSesame courses you can use to satisfy those requirements. For states without specific requirements, any OpenSesame course on sexual harassment should meet your training needs.
Sexual Harassment Training Requirements by State
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State |
Sexual Harassment Training Requirements |
More Information |
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Alabama |
None |
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Alaska |
None |
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Arizona |
None |
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Arkansas |
None |
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California (AB 1825 & AB 2053) |
Employers with fifty or more employees must provide two hours of mandatory sexual harassment training to supervisors within 6 months of becoming a supervisor, and at least once every two years. There is no requirement that all fifty employees or contractors work at the same location or all in California. Training is also required by all public employers regardless of the number of employees. Cal. Gov Code §12950. AB 2053 amends Cal. Gov Code §12950 to "also include prevention of abusive conduct as a component of the training and education..." For detailed AB 1825 and AB 2053 compliant suggestions, see our post: Workplace Bullying and the New AB 2053 |
Provide two hours of interactive training, which also addresses other types of harassment, to employees in supervisory roles every two years. Training must also include remedies available to victims and must include practical examples illustrating harassment. AB 2053 adds abusive conduct, or bullying, to the training requirement. |
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Colorado (Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s Discrimination Rules) |
No requirements but encourages all employers to take necessary steps to prevent sexual harassment, including sensitizing employees to sexual harassment issues. 3 Colo. Code Regs. § 708-1, Rule 80.11(C). |
Nothing required. |
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Connecticut (Connecticut Human Rights and Opportunity Act) |
All employers with fifty or more employees must provide two hours of sexual harassment training for supervisors within six months of the start of each supervisor's employment. This can be elearning if it is possible for takers to ask questions and receive answers. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-54(15)(B)). Conn. Agencies Regs. § 46a-54-204. Course that fills requirement: Sexual Harassment Prevention Simulation by WILL Interactive |
Provide two hours of harassment prevention training to all employees in supervisory roles within six months of the beginning of employment. Training must address state and federal laws prohibiting sexual harassment, definitions, types of conduct that constitutde sexual harassment, and remedies available to victims. (Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities) |
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Delaware |
None |
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District of Columbia |
None |
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Florida (Public Personnel of Florida’s Administrative Code) |
All supervisors in executive branch agencies must receive training on affirmative action and equal opportunity, which includes sexual harassment. Fla. Admin. Code, Tit. tit. 60L, § 21.004. |
Provide training on affirmative action and equal opportunity, including sexual harassment. |
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Georgia |
None |
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Hawaii (Hawaii Administrative Rules) |
No requirements but encourages employers to take any necessary preventative measures against sexual harassment because prevention is the best way to eliminate sexual harassment. Suggested methods include raising the issue, condemning sexual harassment, and discussing employees’ rights in sexual harassment incidents. Haw. Admin. Rules § 12-46-109(g). |
Nothing required. Prevention is strongly encouraged. |
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Idaho |
None |
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Illinois (Illinois Human Rights Act) |
Every state executive department, State agency, board, commission, and instrumentality must develop a written sexual harassment policy and post it in a prominent and accessible location and distribute to employees in a manner to assure that all employees see it. They must all provide sexual harassment training as part of all ongoing or new employee training programs. Ill. Comp. Stat., Chap. 775, § 2-105(B)(5). |
Make sexual harassment training in the workplace part of ongoing and new employee training programs. |
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Indiana |
None |
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Iowa (Executive Order) |
The directors of each department within a state agency and their employees must attend affirmative action, cultural diversity, and sexual harassment prevention training. |
Provide department directors with affirmative action, cultural diversity, and sexual harassment prevention training. |
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Kansas |
None |
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Kentucky |
None |
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Louisiana |
None |
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Maine (Sexual Harassment Training and Education in the Workplace Law) |
All employers with fifteen or more employees who are located in or doing business in the state of Maine must train all employees about sexual harassment within a year of the beginning of their employment. Supervisors and managers must receive additional training within one year of assuming their positions. 26 Me. Rev. Stat. § 807(3) |
Training must encompass the definition and illegality of sexual harassment under state and federal laws, samples of sexual harassment, the employer's complaint process, legal recourse and complaint process, and the protection against retaliation. Maine Human Rights Commission |
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Maryland (Maryland Commission on Human Relations) |
No requirements, but when deciding a sexual harassment case, the Maryland Commission on Human Relations will favorably consider steps employers took to prevent sexual harassment. Suggested steps include:
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No requirements. |
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Massachusetts (Massachusetts Fair Employment Practice Act) |
No requirements, but employers are encouraged to provide sexual harassment training to new employees within one year of employment. Employers are also encouraged to provide additional training for managers and supervisors that describes the specific responsibilities of managers and supervisors in sexual harassment incidents. This training should also occur within a year of the commencement of managerial or supervisory duties. M.G.L. c. 151B § 3A(e). |
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Michigan (Michigan’s Disability Bias Law) |
The Department of Civil Rights is required to provide education and training programs to all employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies in order to help them understand the requirements. Act. Mich. Comp. Laws Ann., § 37.1212. |
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Minnesota |
None |
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Mississippi |
None |
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Missouri |
None |
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Nebraska |
None |
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Nevada (Nevada Administrative Code) |
All state employees must take a certified sexual harassment class within six months of their appointments and must take a certified refresher sexual harassment course every two years after they take the first one. An appointing authority can order any employee to retake a course or to take additional courses. Nev. Admin. Code ch. 284, s. 496 |
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New Hampshire |
None |
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New Jersey (Gaines v. Bellino) |
No requirements, but the New Jersey Supreme Court held that while deciding whether an employer had been negligent in preventing sexual harassment under state law, state court shall consider whether an employer made training available to employees, including supervisors. |
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New Mexico (State Code) |
Primary and secondary education providers and centers are required to train all school personnel at least once a year. N.M.A.C. 6.60.9.9 (C)(11) |
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New York |
None |
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North Carolina (North Carolina Administrative Code) |
All state agencies are required to create a unlawful workplace harassment plan, which includes implementation of harassment training and other employee education programs. 25 N.C.A.C. 1J.1101 |
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North Dakota |
None |
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Ohio (Ohio Administrative Code) |
No requirements but suggests that employers take all necessary steps to prevent sexual harassment because prevention is the best way to eliminate it. Raising the issue of, stating disapproval of, developing sanctions against and informing employees of their rights and how to raise the issue of sexual harassment are suggested steps. Ohio Adm. Code 4112-5-05(J)(7). |
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Oklahoma (Oklahoma Fair Employment Practices Act) |
All state employees who investigate discrimination complaints should have received equal employment opportunity, discrimination, and burdens of proof training. Okla. Stat. Tit. 74, § 840.21(F.1); tit. 530, § 10-3-20. |
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Oregon |
None |
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Pennsylvania (Executive Order) |
State agency employees must receive sexual harassment training, which may include written materials, educational videos, orientation sessions, workplace discussions, and individual counseling. 4 Pa. Code Sec. 7.595 |
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Rhode Island (Rhode Island Sexual Harassment, Education, and Training Law) |
No requirements but employers are also encouraged to conduct education and training programs for new employees within a year of employment and provide additional training for employees in managerial or supervisory roles that describes the responsibilities of managers and supervisors in sexual harassments incidents within one year of commencement of those positions. R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 118,§§ 28-51-2(c), 28-51-3 |
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South Carolina |
None |
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South Dakota |
None |
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Tennessee (Tennessee State Employees’ Sexual Harassment Law) |
The state Department of Personnel must assist each department with planning and delivering sexual harassment prevention training to all public employees. Tenn. Code § 4-3-1703. |
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Texas (Texas Employment Discrimination Law) |
All state employees must receive employment discrimination training, which includes sexual harassment issues, within thirty days of the start of employment. Training must be repeated every two years thereafter. Tex. Lab. Code. § 21.010. |
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Utah (Utah Administrative Code) |
All state employers must provide sexual harassment training that is approved by the Department of Human Resource Management and and Risk Management to all employees within ninety days of hire and a refresher training course at least every three years. Utah Admin Code R477-10-4. |
Sexual harassment training should cover the types of protected class harassment, retaliation, how to report harassment, and make complaints. |
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Vermont (Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act) |
No requirements, but all employers are encouraged to provide a sexual harassment training program to all existing employees and all new employees within one year of the start of employment. Additional training for managers and supervisors is also encouraged. Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 21, §495h(f) |
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Virginia |
None |
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Washington (Executive Order) |
All state employees must take sexual harassment training in order to prevent and eliminate sexual harassment. |
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West Virginia |
None |
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Wisconsin |
None but Wisconsin advises employers to provide training to sensitize employees on the issue of harassment and periodically remind them to maintain a harassent free workplace. |
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Wyoming |
None |
OpenSesame has many sexual harassment prevention training materials and courses from which to choose, so definitely use the chart above. We have a couple categories in our training catalog that might help you in your search as well. If you reside in California, or are looking for training that meets California's AB 1825 sexual harassment requirements, see our AB 1825 category. If you live in another state visit our general sexual harassment training category page.