By July 1, 2022, Chicago employers must adopt a written policy prohibiting sexual harassment and display the poster detailing the ordinance.
Chicago Expands Anti-Harassment Laws
Beginning July 2022, Chicago will require employers to provide employees with additional training, a new written policy, and a new posted policy on sexual harassment.
Illinois Provides Model for Newly Required Anti-Harassment Training
On April 30, the Illinois Department of Human Rights released a model training presentation that employers can use to comply with Illinois’ new sexual harassment prevention training requirement. An employer may use this model training, or it may develop a training specifically tailored to its organization, provided that the training meets the state’s minimum legal requirements.
In 2019, Illinois adopted a new law requiring employers to provide annual sexual harassment prevention training to all Illinois employees. This requirement also applies to employers based in other states that have one or more employees working remotely in Illinois or working at a customer’s worksite in Illinois. All Illinois employees must be trained by December 31, 2020. Restaurants and bars must also provide supplemental sexual harassment prevention training targeted specifically for those industries.
Two major points about the new training requirement from the state’s FAQs:
- Although employers are not required to train independent contractors, Illinois strongly advises that independent contractors receive training if they work on-site at an employer’s workplace or interact with employees.
- Employers should include in their anti-harassment training any employee who is based outside of Illinois but regularly works with employees in the state. For example, a manager based in Wisconsin who supervises employees working in Illinois should be included in the training.
While virtual training may be the only option in our current environment, employers should keep in mind that the EEOC has found that anti-harassment training is most effective when it is tailored to the specific workplace and workforce, as well as provided in-person, with interactive discussion, and by an experienced trainer.
The attorneys and HR professionals at Lake Effect HR & Law are ready and willing to assist and advise if you have questions related to anti-harassment or other employee training. Contact us at info@le-hrlaw.com or 1-844-333-5253.
Employers: Include NYC Independent Contractors in Your Anti-Harassment Training
Under the recently expanded New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), employers must include independent contractors in their sexual harassment training. This is a major shift in how independent contractors are generally treated. Employers should include an appropriate disclaimer before providing anti-harassment training to an independent contractor to clarify that the training does not change their independent contractor status.
This training requirement applies to all New York employers with 15 or more total workers. “Workers” includes employees who work outside of New York City and independent contractors. This means that if a Wisconsin based employer has 14 employees in Wisconsin and 1 employee or independent contractor in New York City, that employer must provide the required sexual harassment training to the worker in New York City, and comply with the other applicable New York State and New York City laws. Note that as of February 8, 2020, the New York State Human Right Law will apply to all employers with at least 1 employee in New York.
The attorneys and HR professionals at Lake Effect HR & Law are ready and willing to assist and advise if you have questions related to mandatory anti-harassment training or independent contractors in Wisconsin or other states. Contact us at info@LE-hrlaw.com or 1-844-333-5253.
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