Are You Educated on Workplace Harassment Training and Policies?

While an employer’s hiring and firing practices may present the greatest risk for litigation, lawsuits based on a company’s employment practices can happen for many reasons. Poorly written policies, training or a manager’s style can embroil a business in the complaint of a single employee.

Workplace harassment can come from a lack of managerial action as easily as from offensive behavior. A company’s risk level is reduced when employees have a solid understanding of company policies, as well as employees’ rights and responsibilities. It is the employer’s legal duty to communicate workplace conduct policies and to ensure every employee understands and adheres to them.

In Chicago as of July 1st, 2022, all employers must require prevention training and a written policy on sexual harassment including:

(1) A statement that sexual harrassment is illegal in Chicago; (2) the definition of sexual harrassment (as defined by the ordinance); (3) a requirement that all employees participate in sexual harrassment prevention training annually; (4) examples of prohibited conduct that constitute sexual harassment; (5) details on reporting and legal services; and (6) a statement that retaliation for reporting sexual harassment is illegal in Chicago.