Preventing Sexual Harassment in California: Training for Supervisors (AB1825)
Course Description:
Under California law, you are required to learn about the prevention of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. That includes information and practical guidance regarding state and federal laws, how to prevent, respond to, and correct sexual harassment, remedies available to persons subject to harassment, and the potential for liability. By completing this course, you have met those requirements.
Why “Preventing Sexual Harassment in California: Training for Supervisors (AB1825)” Matters:
It’s the law in California. State law AB1825 mandates that your supervisors receive 2 hours of sexual harassment prevention training every 2 years.
It makes sense. Maybe you’ve never had a claim of sexual harassment at your organization and figure you can’t justify even the modest expense of this training system. Yet, you’ve probably never had a fire at your workplace, so why do you bother with fire insurance?
It’s too expensive to ignore. An average of 56 claims of sexual harassment is filed with the EEOC every day, and the average jury award in harassment cases is $250,000.
Unlike other training programs, this course is:
Simple. In just 2 hours, your team learns what constitutes harassment, why they need to stay vigilant, and how to react if they are approached with a complaint. And you’ll meet your training obligations under California law.
Engaging. Professional actors depict real scenarios from the workplace, not the unrealistic, wooden, or even absurd vignettes used in other programs.
Authoritative. Each scenario is followed by frank and easily understood commentary from leading employment law authorities Mark Schickman and Linda Walton, each with over 20 years of experience counseling employers.
Convenient. Conduct training as it fits your organization’s schedule, not that of some busy consultant.
NOTE: The state of California has mandated harassment prevention training for supervisors. The U.S. Supreme Court has identified prevention training as an affirmative defense for employers facing sexual harassment claims. This course meets supervisor training requirements under AB1825. Includes 2015 Abusive Conduct Laws.
Key Points:
Consequences of Harassment
- Case studies of devastating penalties and awards
Overview of Harassment Law
- What Title VII of the Civil Rights Act really means
- Potential damages and risks supervisors run
- Your obligations under harassment law
Hostile work environment
- What is hostile environment harassment?
- Supervisor’s duty to protect employees from a harassing environment
- Are they really offended?
- Dangers of the Internet and e-mail
- Gender harassment
- Supervisor isn’t qualified to investigate, so he needs to go to HR
Hostility based on sexual orientation
- Hostility based on transgender status
- Some states protect the transgendered
- Hostility based on a former relationship
Quid pro quo harassment
- What is quid pro quo harassment?
Harassment by a customer
- Duty to protect employees
Relationship with a subordinate
- Why having a relationship with a subordinate employee can be so legally treacherous
Complaint procedures and investigations
- Why supervisors should never retaliate against an employee who complains of harassment
- What if the employee lies?
- Don’t promise confidentiality to complaining employee
Special situation: When the supervisor is accused
- When the supervisor is accused of harassment
- What supervisors should—and most certainly shouldn’t—do when they are accused of harassment
- Why retaliation claims are so common when a supervisor is accused, and how to avoid them
- Cooperating with HR’s investigation to resolve matters quickly and without massive workplace disruption