On May 10, 2019, we blogged about the updated requirements for California employers providing sexual harassment training to their employees, as defined in SB 1343. You can read that blog post here. SB 1343 requires that all employers who have 5 or more employees provide a minimum of 2 hours of sexual harassment prevention training… Read More
Posts Tagged With: sexual harassment
Governor Newsom Signs SB 778 — New Harassment Training Deadline
As we blogged about previously here, since January 1, 2019 California law has required employers with 5 or more employees to provide at least 2 hours of classroom or other interactive sexual harassment training to all supervisory employees and 1 hour of classroom or other interactive sexual harassment training to all non-supervisory employees in California…. Read More
Have You Completed Your Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training?
As we blogged about previously, a new law came into effect January 1, 2019 requiring California employers with five or more employees to provide sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training for all employees by January 1, 2020. Prior to this new law, only employers with 50 or more employees were required to provide at… Read More
2019 Brings New Laws and Obligations for California Employers
Last year was a busy legislative year in California. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements in particular spawned a host of new employment laws that took effect on January 1st. If you haven’t done so already, you should review your employee handbook and personnel policies to make sure that you are in compliance with these new laws. SB… Read More
Using Supply Chains to Combat Sexual Harassment
In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, New America’s Better Life Lab presented findings that sexual harassment was “severe, pervasive, and widespread” across all industries. It exists equally in both low-income and high-income jobs, and in both male-dominated and female-dominated occupations. It is, unfortunately, everywhere. That conclusion did not surprise me. What… Read More
Governor Brown Signs SB 1343 Expanding Sexual Harassment Training Obligations
On September 30, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1343 which will lower the number of employees required to trigger mandatory sexual harassment training. Currently, any California employer with 50 or more employees is required to provide at least 2 hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisory employees within 6 months of assuming… Read More
Governor Brown Signs AB 2770 Making Sexual Harassment Allegations Privileged
On July 9, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2770 which protects both sexual harassment victims and their employers from being sued for libel, slander, or defamation in connection with allegations of sexual harassment. AB 2770 also gives an employer permission to tell a prospective new employer calling for a reference that a former… Read More
Landmark Study Finds Workplace Culture Is Strongest Predictor of Sexual Harassment
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has just concluded a major study on sexual harassment. It offers some interesting new insights relevant to California employers and employees. According to the study, the strongest predictor of whether sexual harassment will occur (or not) in the workplace is the “organizational climate” of the organization. In… Read More
New U.S. Tax Law Impacts Sexual Harassment Settlements
When U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law last month, everyone was focused on the corporate tax cuts and — especially here in California — the reduction of the deductions for mortgage interest, state income taxes, and local property taxes. But lurking in the new tax law was a… Read More
California Court Confirms: Employers are Liable for Sexual Harassment by Non-Employees
With all of the recent news surrounding workplace sexual harassment and sexual misconduct by politicians, news anchors, celebrities, and other high-profile persons, it comes as no surprise that a California court has weighed in on the issue of workplace sexual harassment.