Introduction

You have probably heard of the term #MeToo and the "Me Too Movement." The phrase was first used on social media by Tarana Burke as a way of showing empathy toward others who had been victims of sexual harassment.

Although the #MeToo movement can trace its roots to 2006, it did not receive much coverage until 2017. This was when high-profile actors in Hollywood began lending their voices to this movement and sharing their experiences with sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.

For this reason, some believe that discussions about workplace harassment are a relatively "new" concept. This is simply not the case. Sexual harassment in the workplace has been prohibited since 1964. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, any verbal or physical conduct used to sexually coerce or create a hostile work environment can be deemed sexual harassment.

Mandatory sexual harassment prevention training has been a requirement in California since 2005, which is when Assembly Bill 1825 (signed by the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 2004) went into effect. This law required employers with 50 or more employees to have their supervisors undergo two hours of sexual harassment prevention training within the first six months of employment. Employees were also required to complete this training every two years after the initial training.

On January 1, 2019, another law went into effect that changed the parameters of sexual harassment prevention training. California Senate Bill 1343 (SB 1343) requires sexual harassment prevention training for businesses with five or more employees. It extends to all employees (full-time, part-time, and temporary employees or independent contractors), not just supervisors.

With this mandatory sexual harassment prevention training for all employees in nearly all businesses, the hope is to improve awareness and prevent incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace.

To learn more about Sexual Harassment Prevention For Employees visit our Cal/OSHA Sexual Harassment Prevention For Employees Online Training web page.