California Online Sexual Harassment Training & Prevention
Protect your employees and your organization: Comply with CA regulations.
View the TrainingSexual Harassment Training: California Requirements for Employees
Under the California Code, employers with at least five employees or contractors must provide sexual harassment prevention training to all employees, including supervisory and nonsupervisory employees, every two years. CCR 12950.1. The training must take at least 1 hour for nonsupervisory employees and at least 2 hours for supervisory employees to complete. In addition, the California Code specifies certain content that must be included in the training.
These training requirements went into effect in 2018. They reflected a significant change in the law. Previously, only employers with fifty or more employees were required to provide sexual harassment prevention training, and that training applied only to supervisors.
What Must Employers Include in California Sexual Harassment Training?
California employers must ensure the training includes information and practical guidance on the following:
- The definition of sexual harassment under Title VII and FEHA
- Federal and state statutes and case law prohibiting and preventing sexual harassment
- Types of conduct that constitute sexual harassment, with practical examples
- The definition of “abusive conduct” under state law
- Prevention strategies for harassment and abusive conduct
- Information about preventing abusive conduct and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression
- Supervisor’s duty to report harassment
- What to do if a supervisor is personally accused of harassment
- An explanation of the limited confidentiality of the complaint and investigation process
- Questions that assess learning, skill-building activities to assess understanding and application of content, and hypothetical scenarios about harassment with discussion questions
- Remedies and resources (to whom to report harassment) for sexual harassment victims
- How employers must correct harassing behavior
The training must also include the employer’s anti-harassment policy, and employees must read and acknowledge receipt of the policy.
Learning Objectives of California Harassment Training
California regulations state that the learning objectives of the training must be designed to:
- Assist employers in correcting workplace behaviors that create or contribute to harassment based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
- Provide employees with information about the negative effects of abusive conduct.
- Develop, foster, and encourage values in employees that will help them prevent, effectively respond to, and develop methods to promptly address and correct harassing or other wrongful workplace behavior.
California Sexual Harassment Training FAQs
The following FAQs outline the current 2026 sexual harassment prevention training requirements for employers with employees in California. These FAQs were designed to help organizations comply with California training standards.
Why is sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training necessary for employees in California?
California Code Section 12950.1 requires most employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training to all employees. Employers who fail to provide this training risk enforcement action by the California Department of Civil Rights and face increased liability for any harassment claims employees bring against them.
Traliant’ s California Sexual Harassment Prevention training goes well beyond defining and identifying sexual harassment. The training specifically incorporates abusive conduct, workplace bullying, and all forms of harassment such as verbal, visual, electronic, and physical harassment.
For employees and supervisors alike, the training addresses:
- Understanding Abusive Conduct & Bullying: California law requires that all covered employees learn how abusive conduct, such as repeated derogatory remarks, threats, or humiliation, can undermine a safe work environment. Real-world examples, interactive scenarios, and clear outlining of what constitutes bullying help drive these points home.
Real-life scenarios reinforce all of these components, giving employees the skills to recognize, prevent, and respond appropriately to abusive conduct, bullying, and online harassment, in line with the requirements of California law.
What are the unacceptable behaviors and legal standards regarding workplace harassment in California?
California law clearly outlines what constitutes unacceptable workplace behavior and sets strict legal standards to protect employees. Behaviors considered unlawful include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile work environment. California law also strictly prohibits conduct such as offensive jokes, slurs, inappropriate touching, and displays of sexually suggestive material.
These behaviors violate both company policy and state law under California Government Code Section 12950.1. Both employers and employees must understand this. Victims may file complaints with the California Department of Civil Rights or seek legal recourse through the courts. Those found responsible for harassment may face disciplinary action, including termination, and potential legal and financial consequences.
These legal standards exist not only to minimize liability, but to help organizations build a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for everyone.
Does California Law and the California Department of Civil Rights (CRD) Specify Training Requirements for Content and Who Must Be Trained?
California law and the California Department of Civil Rights (CRD) mandate specific sexual harassment prevention training requirements, defining who qualifies for training, how often employers must conduct it, what content it must cover, and how employers may deliver it. Review the FAQs below for detailed information on each of these requirements. Please review the FAQs below for detailed information on these issues.
What recent changes in California law have expanded sexual harassment prevention training requirements?
In recent years, California strengthened its commitment to preventing workplace harassment through new legislation. A key change came with the passage of Senate Bill 1343, which significantly broadened the scope of required sexual harassment prevention training.
Previously, only employers with 50 or more employees were obligated to provide this training, and it was limited to supervisory staff. Under the revised law, however, the training requirement now applies to employers with five or more employees—and it extends to all employees, not just supervisors. This expansion means that small businesses and organizations previously exempt from these mandates are now included in the training requirements.
The intent behind the legislative update is to ensure that more workers, regardless of the size of their workplace, have access to education and resources to prevent harassment and promote a respectful work environment.
Which employers are covered under the state of California sexual harassment prevention training law?
Employers with five or more employees or other persons providing contracted services must provide sexual harassment prevention training to California employees.
Employees or contractors who work outside California count when determining if an employer must provide sexual harassment prevention training. For example, if the employer has two California employees but has a total of five workers, the employer must provide sexual harassment training to the two employees who work in California.
When must new employees and new supervisors be trained?
Covered employers must provide CA harassment training to new employees within six (6) months of hire and must train new supervisors within six (6) months of assuming a supervisory position.
A supervisor is anyone with the authority to hire, fire, assign, transfer, discipline, or reward other employees. A supervisor is also someone with the authority to effectively recommend these actions if exercising that authority requires the use of independent judgment.
Who is required to complete this training according to California law?
All employees and supervisors in California must be trained. The law does not require employers to train independent contractors, volunteers, or unpaid interns. Nevertheless, prudent employers provide training to these persons to ensure a harassment-free workplace for everyone.
Employers are not required to train employees who do not work in the State of California. However, other states in which employees work may have similar sexual harassment training requirements.
Providing training to independent contractors and out-of-state employees who regularly interact with California employees is an essential component of protecting the company from harassment liability in California. As expressly stated in the law, the requirements establish a “minimum threshold” and “should not…relieve any employer” from providing any additional training necessary “to meet its obligations to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent and correct harassment and discrimination.” (Cal. Gov. Code § 12950.1(e).)
Are employers required to train temporary and seasonal employees?
Yes. Employers must provide training to any employee who works less than six (6) months, including temporary and seasonal employees.
The training must be provided either within thirty calendar days from the first-day worked; or within the first 100 hours worked, whichever occurs first.
However, an employer who is a client of a temporary staffing agency need not train individuals at the worksite who are provided by the agency. Instead, the temporary staffing agency is required to train those individuals.
Is the training required to be a certain length?
Yes. The training must be one hour for nonsupervisory employees and two hours for supervisory employees.
Can employees complete the training individually online?
Yes. Employees may complete the training individually online, so long as it meets the effective e-learning and duration requirements.
Additionally, employees need not complete the training all at once and may complete it in shorter segments, provided they meet the length requirement. E-learning training may use bookmarking features, which allows the employee to pause the training, so long as the actual e-learning content meets or exceeds the time requirements.
Are employers in California required to provide bystander intervention training to their employees?
No. However, California law encourages employers to include bystander intervention training as part of their harassment training program. Specifically, employers should provide all employees with bystander intervention training that offers practical guidance on recognizing problematic behaviors and taking action when they witness them The purpose of the training is to provide employees who may see sexual harassment occurring in the workplace with the skills and confidence to intervene, and the resources for support if they are unable to intervene.
Traliant’s online training covers prevention of sexual harassment and all forms of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, as well as bystander intervention, workplace civility, and bullying prevention.
Do California employees or supervisors who completed training at another employer need to retake the training?
It depends. If an employee or supervisor took compliant training at another employer within the past two years, they need not retake the training. Note that the employer still must provide a copy of its anti-harassment policy to all new employees within six (6) months of hire. However, each employer is responsible for ensuring that all employees including supervisors, receive training that complies with California training requirements. Most employers find it easier to have employees and supervisors retake the training provided by their organization to ensure compliance and avoid potential liability for relying on training provided elsewhere.
When must California employers retrain their employees?
Employees must receive sexual harassment training once every two years. Employers may use a two-year “training year” cycle to determine when to retrain employees. For example, if an employer trains employees sometime in 2020, the employer must provide retraining no later than December 31, 2022. Employers who adopt this tracking method must include new employees and supervisors who receive training within six months of hire or promotion in the next training year, even if that falls less than two years after their initial training. An employer may not extend the training year for the new employees and new supervisors beyond the two-year training period.
Employers may also use individual tracking to determine retraining requirements. In this case, the employer must ensure that each employee receives retraining within two years from the date they last completed training.
What documentation must an employer keep regarding anti harassment training, California?
Employers must keep documentation relating to employee training, including, but not limited, to:
- Names of employees trained
- Date of training
- A sign-in sheet
- A copy of all certificates of attendance or completion issued
- The type of training
- A copy of all materials (written or recorded) that comprise the training
- Name of the training provider
- The employer must maintain this documentation for at least two years.
The employer must maintain this documentation for at least two years.
Do employers have to pay California employees for the training time?
Yes, employees must be paid for the training time. California law states that the employer “shall provide…” sexual harassment and abusive conduct training. Thus, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide training – and not employees – and therefore the employer must pay for any costs incurred in implementing training. In fact, the DFEH holds the authority to seek a court order compelling an employer to provide the training. The statutory language also makes clear that employers may not require employees to take the training during personal time. Instead, the training must be provided as part of their employment.
How should employees in California report workplace harassment?
Employees who experience or witness workplace harassment should promptly report the conduct using their employer’s established procedures. Typically, this means notifying a designated supervisor, manager, or Human Resources representative as outlined in the company’s anti-harassment policy. Reporting channels may include:
- Speaking directly to a supervisor or manager
- Contacting Human Resources
- Submitting a written report via email or an internal reporting system
- Using an anonymous hotline, if available
Documentation matters — note what happened, when, where, and who was involved or witnessed the behavior. Even when an employee feels unsure whether certain conduct constitutes harassment, reporting it gives the employer the opportunity to address the situation and take appropriate action under California law.
California law requires employers to investigate all complaints promptly and thoroughly. Retaliation against any employee for reporting harassment or participating in an investigation is strictly prohibited. Reporting concerns as soon as possible helps prevent misconduct from continuing and supports a safer, more respectful workplace for everyone.
What if California law changes and my organization needs to update its training courses?
While many providers offer training on preventing workplace harassment, few have the legal and instructional design expertise required to comply with harassment training laws, such as those in California.
Traliant’s more than 1,000 clients sleep well knowing that we regularly monitor laws around the country to ensure our training stays up-to-date and compliant. Indeed, we have updated our harassment course on numerous occasions in the last few years to comply with new state and local training laws. Importantly, Traliant does not charge its clients to update course content due to changes in the law.
Are there any other harassment-prevention obligations under California law?
California law mandates the display of required workplace posters: All employers must post the California Law Prohibits Workplace Discrimination and Harassment poster (DFEH-E07P). Employers with at least five employees must post (a) the Transgender Rights in the Workplace poster (DFEH-E04P) and (b) the Your Rights and Obligations as a Pregnant Employee poster, poster (DFEH-E09P). Those with at least 20 employees must post the Family Care and Medical Leave and Pregnancy Disability Leave poster (DFEH-100-21).
California law further mandates that all employers distribute the DFEH Sexual Harassment Fact Sheet to every employee.
Employers must also distribute a Sexual Harassment Poster or fact sheet issued by the DFEH to all employees. An employer may choose to distribute individual copies of the poster (DFEH-185P) or the fact sheet (DFEH-185) to meet the “brochure” requirement.). The employer may choose the distribution manner as long as the method chosen ensures all employees receive the brochure.
In the alternative, an employer may develop an equivalent written notice containing the required information:
- The definition and illegality of sexual harassment under state and federal law
- A description of sexual harassment with examples
- The employer’s internal complaint process available to employees
- legal remedies and the complaint process available through the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)
- Directions on how to contact the DFEH
- The protection against retaliation
- A link to a website, for the sexual harassment online training course developed by the DFEH
Employers must adopt and distribute a written discrimination and harassment prevention policy. The policy must include specific information that the regulations set forth, and employers must distribute it in a manner that ensures every employee receives and understands a copy of the policy. See 2 CCR § 11023(b) for more information
Are there any other recent harassment-related updates under California Law?
Yes, including those summarized below.
Employer Liability for Harassment by Non-Employees
SB 1300 expanded harassment protection and liability under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Under this new law, employers may face liability when non-employees perpetrate unlawful harassment against employees or other non-employees, including interns, volunteers, and contractors. Previously, FEHA only addressed sexual harassment liability by non-employees. The law went into effect on January 1, 2019.
Liability for a Single Incident of Harassment
SB 1300 also rejected the “stray remarks doctrine” and confirms that a single incident of harassing conduct is sufficient to create a triable issue of the existence of a hostile work environment. The law went into effect on January 1, 2019.
As a result, California law now provides that “a single incident of harassment is sufficient to create a triable issue of a hostile work environment if the harassing conduct has unreasonably interfered with the plaintiff’s work performance or created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.”
Prohibition Against Certain Non-Disparagement and Release of Claims Provisions in Agreements
SB 1300 also prohibited employers from requiring an employee to execute a release of claims under FEHA or sign a non-disparagement agreement preventing disclosure of unlawful workplace acts in exchange for a raise or bonus or as a condition of continued employment. California public policy deems any such agreement void. The law went into effect on January 1, 2019.
Non-Disclosure Agreements Banned
SB 820 prohibits and voids non-disclosure clauses in settlement agreements arising from sexual assault, harassment, sex discrimination, or retaliation claims entered into on or after January 1, 2019.
California law further bars employers from requiring employees to sign any release, non-disparagement agreement, or document that prohibits disclosure of unlawful workplace acts.
The law does, however, permit claimants to request identity-shielding provisions. Such provisions may conceal facts that could reveal the claimant’s identity. Claimants may also request to preclude disclosure of the settlement amount, provided the opposing party is neither a public official nor a government agency.
In which languages is the training available?
Traliant’s Preventing Workplace Harassment Training supports over 100 languages, including English and Spanish.
Why Choose Traliant’s Harassment Prevention Training?
Traliant’s Sexual Harassment Prevention training uses practical examples to teach employees how to identify sexual harassment and abusive conduct. Employees also learn concrete steps to help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Built with a focus on learning design, the training meets all harassment prevention requirements across all 50 states. Traliant continuously updates the training to reflect the latest federal and state sexual harassment prevention laws.
