Workplace harassment can be detrimental to a business. Not only can this lower employee morale and cause interruptions in productivity, but it can also come with a financial cost. In FY 2025, the EEOC received a total of 37,397 harassment charges, resulting in companies across the US paying $261.9 million. This does not include claims made directly to state agencies, which could drastically increase those numbers further.

 

While there is no federal law requiring anti-harassment policies or even training, the EEOC strongly recommends that both of these actions be taken by employers. Additionally, should an employer have a legal claim of harassment made against them, and there is no policy in place, this shortcoming could lead to more severe penalties on the company.

 

However, employers should also be aware of their state’s specific requirements. Many states recommend having an anti-harassment policy and training in place, but others require a policy to be implemented and mandated training. At this time, the following states require employers to have a written anti-harassment policy in place: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia (for employers with tipped employees), Illinois (for bars and restaurants), Massachusetts (employers with 6+ employees), New York, Oregon, Rhode Island (for employers with 50+ employees), Vermont, and Washington (for certain industries). States where a policy is not required but strongly recommended include Colorado, Iowa, Maine, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

 

Additionally, some states and cities require that sexual harassment training be provided to employees:

 

California – Employers with five or more employees anywhere, even if the employees do not work at the same location or all work in California, must provide sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to their California-based employees. Nonsupervisory employees must receive at least one hour of training, and supervisory employees must receive at least two hours of training every two years. New employees and employees promoted to supervisory positions generally must be trained within six months. Temporary or seasonal employees hired to work fewer than six months must be trained within 30 calendar days after beginning work or within 100 hours worked, whichever occurs first. Independent contractors, volunteers, and unpaid interns are not required to receive the training, although they may count toward the five-person coverage threshold.

 

 

Connecticut – All employers, regardless of size, must provide sexual harassment training to all supervisor-level employees. Employers with three or more employees must provide training to all employees. Training must be at least two hours in length and be provided within six months of hire or promotion to a supervisory-level position. Employees must also be provided with a copy of the Connecticut poster on the illegality of sexual harassment within three months of hire. Retraining must be provided every 10 years thereafter, but the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities recommends it every 3 years.

 

 

Delaware – Employers must provide the Delaware Sexual Harassment Notice to all employees upon hire. Employers with 50 or more employees in Delaware must provide sexual harassment training within one year of each employee’s start date and then retrain every two years.

 

District of Columbia – Employers with tipped employees must provide sexual harassment training to all employees within 90 days of their start date. Managers, owners, or operators of covered businesses must attend in-person training at least once every two years. The District of Columbia’s Office of Human Rights (OHR) has a list of approved trainers who may provide required sexual harassment training. Managers can attend this required training online instead of in person. Employers must file a copy of their sexual harassment policy and a compliance report with the number of instances of sexual harassment with the OHR each year.

 

 

Illinois – All private employers with employees working in Illinois must provide sexual harassment prevention training at least once a year to all employees. This includes employees who are considered short-term, seasonal, part-time, or interns. Employers are not required to train independent contractors, but the Illinois Department of Human Rights strongly advises doing so if they are working on-site at an employer’s workplace or interacting with the employer’s staff. Additionally, every restaurant and bar operating in Illinois must provide supplemental sexual harassment prevention training. Employers must also provide a written sexual harassment policy to all employees within the first calendar week of employment, and the policy must be available in English and Spanish.

 

 

Chicago – Chicago employers, in addition to the state requirements, must ensure that sexual harassment training is at least one hour in length, plus an additional hour of bystander training for general employees. Supervisors and managers must be provided two hours of sexual harassment prevention training annually, plus one hour of bystander intervention training annually.

 

 

Maine – Employers with 15 or more employees must provide new employees with sexual harassment training within 1 year of hire. Employees at the supervisory level or higher must receive additional training within one year of assuming their position, including the specific responsibilities of supervisory and managerial employees and methods for ensuring appropriate action is taken. Employers must maintain training and attendance records for at least three years.

 

 

New York – All New York employers must provide sexual harassment training annually to all employees. Employers must also provide all employees with a written notice at hire and at every annual training that contains the employer’s sexual harassment prevention policy and the information presented in the employer’s training program; this notice must be in English and in the language identified by each employee as their primary language. Training is also required to be interactive.

 

 

New York City – In addition to New York State’s annual training requirement, New York City employers with 15 or more employees, and employers of one or more domestic workers, must provide annual interactive sexual harassment prevention training. Covered employees must generally be trained after working at least 80 hours in a calendar year and within 90 days after initial hire. The city-required training must include information on bystander intervention. Employers must maintain training records for at least three years.

 

 

Washington – Washington state employers must provide sexual harassment training to employees (including managers and supervisors) within one year of hire if the employer is considered a hotel, motel, retail, or security guard entity, or a property services contractor. Specifically, janitors, security guards, hotel/motel housekeepers, or room service attendants who spend more of their working hours alone or whose primary responsibility involves working without another coworker present must receive training and must be provided with a panic button, which the employee may use to summon immediate assistance from another employee, security guard, or employer representative. Employers must also provide employees with a list of resources, including contact information for the EEOC, the Washington State Human Rights Commission, and local advocacy groups focused on preventing sexual harassment and assault.

 

 

• Retain documentation showing who completed training, the date, and the materials used for the time required by the jurisdiction.
  
  
• Use interactive training formats when required (in‑person, live virtual, or online with engagement).
  
  
• Provide training in multiple languages if required.
  
  
• Update materials regularly to reflect changes in law and new requirements such as bystander intervention.

 

If you have questions about sexual harassment policies or training, reach out to your HR Consultant as needed.