Clear Law Institute, LLC: Illinois, Sexual Harassment Training Courses

New Illinois Annual Sexual Harassment Training Requirements

All employers in Illinois must provide sexual harassment training to all employees each year. On August 9, 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 75, the Workplace Transparency Act, which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. In addition to requiring annual sexual harassment training, the law makes other major changes to Illinois harassment and discrimination laws. These changes are described below.

Annual Sexual Harassment Training Requirement

Effective January 1, 2020, all employers must train all employees in Illinois each year.

The annual required sexual harassment training program must include:

An explanation of sexual harassment
Examples of conduct that constitutes unlawful sexual harassment
A summary of federal and state statutory provisions, including remedies available to victims of sexual harassment
A summary of the responsibilities of employers for prevention, investigation, and corrective measures of sexual harassment.

Employers who do not provide compliant training will be subject to civil penalties, including a $500 penalty to businesses with less than 4 employees, or a $1,000 penalty to those with 4 or more employees. Penalties for subsequent violations can rise to $5,000 per violation.