Key Terms and Definitions

California Fair Employment and Housing Act of 1959 (FEHA): Known officially as Government Code §12900-12996, FEHA is a California law regarding sexual harassment and other forms of unlawful discrimination in employment and housing.

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH): A state agency that enforces California's civil rights laws and protects citizens from discrimination related to areas such as housing and employment. The DFEH enforces the laws of the FEHA.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): A federal U.S. agency that creates and enforces laws protecting citizens against employment and housing discrimination.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII): A federal law prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees based on their sex, race, color, nation of origin, and religion.

Assembly Bill 1825 (Full title "AB 1825 Sexual harassment: training and education"): A 2004 California bill (now a state law) detailing sexual harassment training in the workplace.

Senate Bill 1343 (Full title "SB 1343 Employers: sexual harassment training: requirements"): A 2018 California bill (now a state law) extending sexual harassment training in the workplace.

Employer: For the purpose of this course and harassment laws, "employer" is any person (or people) regularly receiving the services of one or more persons as outlined in a contract. This applies to government agencies as well.

Employee: A person performing services for an employer.

Supervisor: According to California law and the FEHA, a supervisor is "any individual having the authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or the responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend that action, if, in connection with the foregoing, the exercise of that authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment."

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