California treats workplace harassment prevention as a business essential, not an optional perk. If you employ people in the state, you have clear, recurring duties under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and follow-on laws like AB 1825 and SB 1343. The rules have matured over two decades, and the Civil Rights Department (CRD, formerly DFEH) continues to refine guidance. What trips up employers is not only the cadence of training, but the content. You cannot check a box with a generic slide deck and call it a day. The curriculum must cover specific subjects, and it must be tailored to supervisors versus nonsupervisors. It must also reflect California definitions, which differ in subtle and important ways from federal law.
I have implemented programs for employers ranging from five-person studios to organizations with thousands of workers spread across multiple states. The patterns are consistent. Teams do better when the training is concrete, frequent, and tied to the organization’s policies and complaint routes. They stumble when they borrow a federal course, skip interactive elements, or ignore role-specific scenarios. What follows is a practical map of what California expects, the evolving content requirements, and the pitfalls I see most often.
Who must be trained, and when
California SB 1343 set the modern baseline: employers with five or more employees must provide harassment prevention training to all workers in the state. Supervisors need at least two hours of training, nonsupervisors need at least one hour. New supervisors must be trained within six months of assuming supervisory duties. New nonsupervisory employees must be trained within six months of hire. Everyone must be retrained every two years. Seasonal and temporary staff, including those employed less than six months, must receive training within 30 calendar days of hire or within 100 hours worked, whichever happens first.
If your workforce includes part-time, remote, or out-of-state employees who supervise California employees, include them. The rule follows where the work and management occur, not just where payroll sits. Independent contractors do not count toward the five-employee threshold, but California law recognizes claims for harassment by or against contractors, interns, and volunteers. For training purposes, that means the content should address interactions with third parties, not just employees.
What is considered sexual harassment in California
California’s definition is broader and more employee-protective than what many national trainings teach. FEHA prohibits harassment based on sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions, and includes verbal sexual harassment, physical sexual harassment, visual conduct, and unwanted advances. Harassment can come from supervisors, coworkers, clients, vendors, or contractors. A single severe incident can be enough, and California does not require victims to protest, use “magic words,” or suffer economic harm to have a claim.
Quid pro quo harassment covers demands for sexual favors in exchange for job benefits or to avoid adverse actions. Hostile work environment harassment focuses on unwelcome conduct that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive workplace. California juries look at context, frequency, and power dynamics. An off-color meme sent once might not support a case in some jurisdictions, but that same meme sent by a senior leader during performance review season, followed by comments about appearance, could tip the analysis.
The core content: what your training must include
The CRD publishes model training and a checklist of content topics. If you build your own program, mirror those topics and speak California’s language. Supervisors get a more extensive curriculum than nonsupervisors, but several anchors are mandatory for both groups.
Start with the California sexual harassment definition. That means covering quid pro quo harassment in California and hostile work environment California standards, with examples that map to FEHA sexual harassment. Include gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy-related conditions, and harassment based on perception or association. Many claims emerge from side channels like team chats, client dinners, or off-site events. If your training only covers cubicle etiquette, you are missing where incidents happen.
Explain how trainees can report. California requires that employees be told about internal complaint routes and external options. That includes the California Civil Rights Department sexual harassment process, the EEOC sexual harassment interface, and any contractual alternative dispute resolution procedures if applicable. The training should outline reporting sexual harassment California options, including HR, a designated manager, an ethics hotline, and direct CRD filings. Be clear that employees are protected from California sexual harassment retaliation for reporting, assisting an investigation, or opposing harassment.
Walk through your policy. California sexual harassment policy requirements include a written policy that is disseminated, translated when necessary, and includes a complaint mechanism with multiple avenues, a process for impartial, timely investigation, a statement of confidentiality to the extent possible, and the employer’s promise to take remedial action. Training should track that policy, not a generic outline that does not match your forms or timelines. If employees do not know where to find the policy and the complaint form, the course has failed.
Cover bystander strategies. CRD emphasizes bystander intervention, which can range from direct interruption to distraction, delegation, or documentation. In practice, employees feel stuck between “mind your own business” and “be a hero.” Give them realistic options and scripts, then acknowledge safety and retaliation concerns, and reaffirm the policy’s protections.
For supervisors, California requires added content on obligations to act. Supervisors must know that a complaint does not need to be formal to trigger a duty to respond. If a supervisor hears about harassment, sees it, or receives a text after hours, the clock starts. They must know how to receive a complaint, escalate promptly, avoid retaliation or promises they cannot keep, and secure interim measures. They also need training on anti-bias and how hostile work environment laws California standards intersect with performance management. The subtlety here matters. A supervisor who documents poor performance immediately after a complaint can create an inference of retaliation, even if the documentation is accurate, unless the performance management plan is handled carefully.
The updates: how AB 1825 and SB 1343 shaped the requirements
AB 1825 launched California’s modern approach by mandating supervisor training for employers with 50 or more employees. Over time, the state expanded coverage, clarified that training must include prevention of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and added interactive requirements. SB 1343 later dropped the threshold to five employees and added the one-hour nonsupervisory training, with the every-two-year cadence and the six-month timeline for new hires. Follow-on measures like SB 778 provided deadlines and clarifications. The CRD’s current guidance permits in-person, live online, or self-paced e-learning, as long as it is interactive. You can include quizzes, scenario-based questions, and a trainer or subject-matter expert available for questions.
One frequent question is whether California ab 1825 sexual harassment training still exists as a standalone requirement. Think of AB 1825 as the foundation. SB 1343 supercharged and broadened it, and CRD consolidated expectations into a unified set of California sexual harassment training requirements. If you comply with the latest CRD standards for your workforce size and roles, you will satisfy the historical AB 1825 focus.
Interactivity and documentation: what CRD expects you to prove
CRD expects interactive training. That does not mean a high-budget production. It means the learner must do more than press play. Well-designed modules ask questions, present branching scenarios, and prompt reflections. In a live session, trainers can pose hypotheticals and solicit responses. I recommend two or three role-specific scenarios for supervisors that require choosing among several imperfect responses, because that is the real world.
Documentation is not glamorous, but it is what saves employers in audits and lawsuits. Maintain rosters, timestamps, copies of materials, facilitator bios, and evidence of interactivity. Store confirmations for at least two cycles, which gives you a four-year window. Round out your records with copies of your policy acknowledgment and your sexual harassment investigation California procedures.
California’s scope: beyond sex to other protected bases
The law frequently lumps “sexual harassment” and “harassment based on sex” together, yet the training must make clear that harassment can also be based on other protected characteristics. California workplace harassment laws cover race, religion, disability, age, and more. While your title and focus may be sexual harassment California compliance, your content should reflect the broader anti-harassment mandate, including gender identity, gender expression, and sexual harassment california sexual orientation. Avoid the trap of treating harassment as only physical conduct. Verbal harassment, graphic displays, or persistent unwanted commentary can be actionable. Even a barrage of “jokes” can form a hostile work environment California claim.
Complaints, investigations, and remedies
Employees often ask how to file a sexual harassment complaint in California when internal routes fail or feel unsafe. The CRD accepts complaints online or by phone. There is also the federal route through the EEOC, and agencies cross-file in most cases. If the claim moves forward, the sexual harassment complaint process California may include mediation or an investigation, with the possibility of a right-to-sue notice that allows a civil action. For employers, the key is to run a prompt, thorough, and impartial internal investigation. That means selecting an investigator who is trained and unbiased, interviewing witnesses in a logical order, collecting documents and digital files, and making credibility findings with a clear rationale. Confidentiality is not absolute, but you can and should limit disclosure to those with a legitimate need to know.
Statutes of limitations vary. Under California law, filing deadlines have been extended in recent years. In many cases, employees have three years from the last unlawful act to file a complaint with CRD, though there are nuances and tolling rules. After receiving a right-to-sue notice, the filing deadline sexual harassment California timeline for court claims usually runs one year. These periods shift with legislative changes and case law, so counsel should confirm the current window.
Remedies can include reinstatement, back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, punitive damages when warranted, and attorneys’ fees. California sexual harassment damages California awards can vary widely, shaped by the severity of conduct, employer response, and jury perception. Settlement values range from modest amounts for early, low-risk resolutions to seven figures for egregious cases. California sexual harassment settlements often include policy reforms, training commitments, and monitoring. Showing strong employer responsibility sexual harassment California practices can reduce exposure and improve settlement posture.
Employer liability and the supervisor problem
Under FEHA, an employer is strictly liable for supervisor sexual harassment California when it results in a tangible https://www.employmentlawaid.org/california/sexual-harassment/ employment action, like firing or demotion. Even without a tangible action, employers face vicarious liability for supervisor harassment, subject to defenses that depend on prompt corrective measures. For coworker sexual harassment California or third party sexual harassment California, liability attaches if the employer knew or should have known about the conduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. Training must make that plain, because supervisors often underestimate their obligations. They need concrete guidance on receiving complaints, avoiding knee-jerk reactions, and not engaging in informal fact-finding that undermines the formal process.
California labor code sexual harassment references are fewer than FEHA provisions, but Labor Code Section 1102.5 and related whistleblower protections can layer on liability if an employee is punished for raising concerns. California sexual harassment whistleblower protection intersects with anti-retaliation in FEHA, creating multiple avenues of claim. Teach supervisors that timing matters, documentation matters, and any employment action involving a recent complainant should receive heightened review.
Practical scenarios that training should cover
The strongest sessions use local examples with realistic friction. Here are patterns I have seen change behavior.
A senior account executive invites a junior teammate to a client dinner and drinks, then sends late-night texts that become increasingly personal. The junior employee delays reporting because the executive controls bonuses. A course that spells out quid pro quo harassment California risk, power dynamics, and early reporting options makes a difference. Add a segment on interim measures like removing the reporting relationship during the investigation, and supervisors will know what to do.
A contractor on a factory floor tells offensive jokes. Employees assume the policy does not apply because he is not employed by the company. A module that squarely covers independent contractor sexual harassment California responsibilities helps. California expects the host employer to act even when a vendor’s worker misbehaves onsite. The training should say exactly who to call and what steps the company will take with the vendor.
A team Slack channel tolerates a stream of memes that sexualize celebrities. A few employees mute the channel; one complains to HR after a performance review includes a remark about her “attitude.” Training should cover virtual spaces, not just physical offices, and instruct supervisors not to comment on an employee’s demeanor in ways that reinforce stereotypes. This is where hostile work environment laws California case studies, even anonymized, sharpen instincts.
What to avoid: common pitfalls that trigger CRD scrutiny
Organizations get in trouble when the training is generic, out-of-date, or mismatched to their policy. Using a federal-only course that ignores California fair employment and housing act sexual harassment standards is the most common misstep. Another is failing to provide the longer supervisor module or collapsing both audiences into a single hour. I also see employers skip documenting questions during live sessions and fail to retain materials. When the CRD or plaintiff’s counsel asks for proof of interactive training, silence is not your friend.
A recurring content failure is treating retaliation as an afterthought. California sexual harassment retaliation claims often prove easier to win than the underlying harassment claim because retaliation can be simpler to prove. Make retaliation vivid in your training with examples: schedule changes that cut hours after a complaint, exclusion from meetings, sudden performance scrutiny with shifting expectations. Instruct supervisors to route all post-complaint actions through HR for a cooling period and review.
Mediation, arbitration, and the litigation arc
Once a charge is filed, cases may move to California sexual harassment mediation through the CRD or an external mediator. Mediation can resolve cases early if both sides have enough facts to value the claim. Arbitration is more complex. California has toggled over time on enforceability of mandatory arbitration agreements for employment claims. Current law allows many existing agreements to stand, but courts scrutinize fairness and scope. If you use arbitration, your training should not promise jury trials, and your policy should explain the forum neutrally. Employees should still be told that CRD and EEOC filings remain available.
For cases that do not settle, the California sexual harassment case timeline can stretch. Discovery ranges from document production to depositions. The sexual harassment evidence California plaintiffs collect often includes texts, chat logs, and calendar entries. Employers should preserve data immediately upon learning of a complaint. Teach supervisors not to delete messages or “clean up” channels. That instinct has sunk more than one defense through spoliation findings.
Trade-offs: off-the-shelf course versus custom build
Off-the-shelf programs are fast and consistent, especially for distributed teams. Choose a vendor whose content is updated at least annually and explicitly maps to CRD guidance. Ask to review the California-specific module and ensure it includes state definitions, reporting paths, bystander content, retaliation, and supervisor duties.
A custom build can align with your policy, culture, and industry risks. Hospitality, healthcare, entertainment, and tech each have unique scenarios. The trade-off is time and maintenance. Plan to revise at least once per year, more often if the law changes or your workforce shifts. If budget is tight, a hybrid approach works: pair a solid vendor course with a live 30-minute add-on that covers your internal policy, contacts, and recent patterns you see in complaints.
Retention, refreshers, and culture
Training is an event. Culture is what happens between events. If you only touch this topic every other year, you will lose ground. I encourage short refreshers: five- to ten-minute micro-lessons on respectful feedback, inclusive off-sites, and bystander choices. Rotate scenarios. Bring in a California sexual harassment attorney or a trained HR investigator once a year for a Q&A. Normalize early reporting by publicly tracking, in aggregate, how often issues are raised and addressed. Workers notice when leadership takes action, and that drives early intervention.
When you coach managers, connect this to business outcomes. Turnover after a harassment incident costs real money. Wrongful termination sexual harassment California claims draw attention and morale suffers. A measured, fair process that protects complainants and accused employees alike builds trust.
A compact checklist for compliant content and practice
- Cover FEHA definitions: quid pro quo harassment California, hostile work environment California, protected categories including gender identity and expression. Provide role-specific modules: two hours for supervisors with duties to act, one hour for nonsupervisors, all interactive. Explain reporting routes: internal contacts, anonymous options if you offer them, and external CRD and EEOC paths. Teach retaliation prevention: concrete examples, manager do’s and don’ts, interim measures, and documentation. Align training with your written policy, investigation steps, and data preservation, and retain records of completion.
Edge cases that deserve airtime
Small employers often assume the rules do not apply. If you have five or more employees, you are covered. If you fluctuate around that number, treat training as required as soon as you hit five and maintain the cadence. Remote workers count if they work in California or supervise California staff. Multiemployer worksites complicate complaints, particularly in construction and film. Your training should instruct employees to report even if the harasser is on another company’s payroll, and your policy should explain how you coordinate with the other employer.
Language access is another frequent miss. If 10 percent or more of your workforce at a location speaks a language other than English, translate your policy into that language. Training should be available in the languages your workers actually use on the job. I have seen complaint numbers tick up, appropriately, after translation. That is not a sign of worsening conditions, it is evidence of access.
Finally, consider trainees who are neurodivergent or who have disabilities that affect how they interact with training modules. Provide accessible materials, captions, and alternative formats. California’s disability accommodation rules apply to training, not just to the job itself.
Policy integration: what good looks like
A sound California sexual harassment policy requirements document is short, direct, and easy to find. It names at least two internal contacts, including someone outside the chain of command. It permits verbal or written complaints. It commits to prompt, fair investigations and corrective action. It promises confidentiality to the extent possible and non-retaliation. It explains external complaint options. It lays out a timeline and sets expectations for interim measures. The training should rehearse this policy so that employees can map the steps from memory.
Back it up with practice. When a complaint arrives, acknowledge it within one business day if possible. Start the investigation quickly. Keep both parties informed at reasonable intervals. Close with a written outcome that states whether policy was violated and describes remedial steps, without sharing more detail than appropriate. Track themes across cases and tune your training accordingly.
When to involve counsel
Bring in a sexual harassment lawyer California side when the allegations are severe, involve senior leaders, or present criminal risk such as assault or stalking. Allegations that might trigger media attention or mandatory reporting obligations merit early legal input. Counsel can also stress-test your California workplace sexual harassment laws compliance posture and your arbitration or mediation clauses. If you receive a CRD notice, involve counsel immediately to meet deadlines and consider California sexual harassment mediation.
Final thought: content as prevention
Effective training does more than satisfy a statute. It gives people vocabulary to describe what they are experiencing, a roadmap to raise concerns, and confidence that leadership will act. California’s rules are specific about content because specifics change behavior. If your module speaks directly to what is considered sexual harassment in California, explains employer liability for sexual harassment California standards in plain terms, names the CRD, and equips supervisors with scripts for first response, you will not only be compliant. You will reduce incidents, surface issues early, and handle the inevitable cases with steadier hands.
The technical checklist matters, and you should follow it. But the goal is a workplace where jokes do not turn into claims, where bystanders step in before harm spreads, and where those who do experience harassment can report without fear. Training content, kept current and delivered with care, is the lever you control.