United States (Federal)

Employees have the right to be free from sexual harassment under section 703(a) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employers can avoid or limit corporate liability if they have taken steps to prevent harassment – by providing training to employees, for example.

Even if training isn’t mandatory in your state, most (nearly all) state laws also prohibit sexual harassment.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations state that prevention (including training) is effective against sexual harassment in the workplace:

“Prevention is the best tool for the elimination of sexual harassment. An employer should take all steps necessary to prevent sexual harassment from occurring, such as affirmatively raising the subject, expressing strong disapproval, developing appropriate sanctions, informing employees of their right to raise and how to raise the issue of harassment under title VII, and developing methods to sensitize all concerned” [emphasis added].

If your company has employees in California, Illinois, New York, Connecticut or Maine, be sure to enrol everyone in our state-specific training. Although training may not be mandatory in other states, it is a best practice for maintaining a safe and equitable workplace, and to limit liability under federal and state civil rights laws.