​How Deadline Extension Affects Timing of Harassment Training

This article is republished from CalChamberAlert.com 

By David Leporiere
HR Adviser, CalChamber

I just read that the Governor signed a new law that changes the timing for the new sexual harassment training. What are the new deadlines for getting my employees trained?

For many years, employers with 50 or more employees were required to provide supervisors with two hours of sexual harassment prevention training every two years. Last year, SB 1343 was signed into law that required all employers with 5 or more employees to provide the same training to supervisors and one hour of training to employees. This training had to be completed by January 1, 2020, giving employers little time to meet the new mandate.

However, on August 30 of this year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 778, which extends this training deadline from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021.

Those businesses that were providing training long before SB 1343 was made law must continue to follow their two-year training cycles. So, if you trained your supervisors in 2017, then those supervisors must be retrained before January 1, 2020.

As for employees newly hired or employees newly promoted to a supervisory position, they must be trained within six months of hire or promotion, regardless of whether you fell under the old or newly enacted law.

Employer Training Deadlines
​
Here is a quick breakdown of training deadlines for employers who have trained employees this year or in previous years.

Year you last trained: 2019
Next required training year: 2021
Explanation: SB 778 clarifies that employers who train their employees in 2019 aren’t required to provide refresher training until two years from the time the employee was trained.

Year you last trained: 2018
Next required training year: 2020
Explanation: SB 778 allows those employers who trained employees in 2018 to maintain their two-year cycle and still comply with the new January 1, 2021, deadline.

Year you last trained: 2017
Next required training year: 2019
Explanation: Employers who trained supervisors in 2017 under prior law, known as AB 1825, should still train those employees this year in order to maintain their two-year cycle. 

The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the California Chamber to provide easy, affordable training for workers and supervisors.
 
Order your online training today! You will receive a 20% discount when you purchase through this link.

You will have to create a CalChamber store account, but you are not required to become a preferred member. The Oxnard Chamber 20% discount will be applied during checkout.