Michigan Sexual Harassment Training Requirements
Empower your employees and protect your organization from misconduct.
While sexual harassment training in Michigan is not specifically required by state statute, EEOC guidelines and court decisions from around the country have made clear that employers should provide workplace harassment training to all employees periodically.
The training should cover sexual harassment and all other forms of unlawful harassment related to federal and state protected characteristics.
Michigan’s anti-discrimination laws prohibit workplace harassment and employment discrimination based on protected characteristics such as the following:
age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), sexual orientation, and weight.
See Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and People with Disabilities Civil Rights Act. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission interprets the prohibition against discrimination based on “sex” to include discrimination because of gender identity and sexual orientation. See Michigan Civil Rights Commission Interpretive Statement 2018-1; MCRC June 15, 2020 Press Release.
Local ordinances may provide broader protections, so you should check the local Civil Rights Commission regulations applicable to your workplace.
For more information on Michigan equal employment opportunity requirements, see Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
