e-Alert – Connecticut Expands Sexual Harassment Training to Include All Employees

Background

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has signed the “Time’s Up” bill which significantly changes the harassment laws for Connecticut employers. Previously, training was required only for supervisors working for employers with 50 or more employees. Effective October 1, 2019, all Connecticut employers, regardless of size, are now required to provide sexual harassment training to supervisory employees. Employers with three or more employees must provide two hours of sexual harassment training to all employees.

Summary

Training
The Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) is responsible for developing an online training video or other interactive training materials, which it must make available at no cost to employers. The CHRO must also develop and publish on its website details concerning the unlawfulness of sexual harassment and the legal remedies available to victims. Employers will have access to these online tools and must provide employees a link to the content on the CHRO site. Click here to review the content provided by the CHRO.

Employers with three or more employees must provide all employees with two hours of harassment training by October 1, 2020. For employees hired on or after October 1, 2019, employers must provide the training within six months of hire. All employers, including those with fewer than three employees, will need to provide training to all supervisory employees by October 1, 2020, and to all new supervisory employees within six months of their assuming a supervisory position. However, supervisors who received this training after October 1, 2018, are not required to undergo training a second time.

Employers will be required to provide periodic supplemental training on sexual harassment at least every 10 years.

Posting Requirements
Under the new law, employers must provide employees with a copy of the CHRO notice or provide a link to the CHRO website that provides all of the requirements of the law and remedies available to employees within three months of the employee’s hire. This posting may be provided via email only if the employee has an employer-provided email address. If not, the employer can post the notice on its internal website, if it has one. Employers can also comply with this requirement by providing a link to the CHRO website containing this information. Employers that fail to post this information will be subject to fines of up to $1,000.

Next Steps for Employers

• If you have three or more employees, you must complete this mandatory two-hour training for all employees by October 1, 2020. All employees hired on or after October 1, 2019, must receive
  training within 6 months of hire.
• All employers, including those with fewer than three employees, must provide harassment training to supervisory employees by October 1, 2020, or within six months of their taking on a supervisory role.
• Beginning October 1, 2019, you must provide the link to the CHRO’s website to employees within three months of their hire date via email or by posting the notice on the company website.
• If you need assistance with the required sexual harassment prevention training, please contact us.
• If you are one of our Full-Service or Virtual HR clients and would like our help updating your handbook and sexual harassment prevention policy, please email us.

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This content is provided with the understanding that HR Knowledge is not rendering legal advice. While every effort is made to provide current information, the law changes regularly and laws may vary depending on the state or municipality. The material is made available for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal advice or your professional judgment. You should review applicable laws in your jurisdiction and consult experienced counsel for legal advice. If you have any questions regarding this content, please contact HR Knowledge at 508.339.1300 or email us.