California Expands Harassment Training Requirements

On October 15, 2017, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 396 into law. California employers with 50 or more employees currently must provide two hours of sexual harassment training for supervisors every two years. This legislation expands the subjects that the mandatory supervisor training must include.

Beginning on January 1, 2018, the two-hour harassment training must include components on harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. The training must include specific examples of such harassment. This portion of the training must be presented by trainers with knowledge and expertise in these areas.

SB 396 also requires employers to display a poster regarding transgender rights prepared by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Details on the new training requirements can be found in our article, “How to Comply With California’s New Requirement to Provide Anti-Harassment Training on Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sexual Orientation.”