March 31, 2023

On April 27, 2022, the Chicago City Council passed an amendment to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance which expanded annual training requirements for employees and managers. Employers have until June 30, 2023 to complete the training requirement for the 2022/2023 year.

Under the Ordinance, employees must participate in at least one hour of sexual harassment prevention training annually. Managers and supervisors must receive a minimum of two hours of sexual harassment prevention training each year..

In addition to sexual harassment prevention training, all employees must receive one hour of bystander intervention training each year. Bystander intervention training teaches strategies that onlookers can use to intervene during harassment incidents to help those being targeted.

Because the training requirements took effect on July 1, 2022, employers must complete the annual training for the 2022/2023 year by June 30, 2023. By complying with the Chicago ordinance, employers will also be in compliance with the less stringent Illinois state training requirements.

Failure to comply with the increased training requirements could result in fines ranging from $500 to $1,000 per offense, with each day that the employer is out of compliance constituting a separate offense.

How Traliant Can Help

Traliant ensures that its clients comply with all sexual harassment training laws. We offer both one-hour and two-hour versions of our sexual harassment prevention course and a one-hour version of our bystander intervention training, which complies with the Chicago requirements.

Consistent with EEOC guidelines and court decisions, Traliant’s interactive, online harassment training covers not just sexual harassment, but all forms of workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. 

The online course is fully customizable; each organization can include their logo, workplace images, introductory messages, and unique policies and procedures for preventing and addressing workplace discrimination.

Learn more about Traliant’s full suite of online sexual harassment training. Traliant is also proud to offer harassment prevention compliance packages, which include required policies, notices, and postings for each jurisdiction in which employers operate. If you have any questions about the law, please contact us at 703-372-0550 or at info@clearlawinstitute.com.

About the Author

Elissa Rossi, VP of Compliance Services, has practiced employment law and litigation at various law firms, including Boyd Richards and Wilkie Farr. She also has served as an Assistant Attorney General in New York’s Attorney General’s Office. Elissa has represented clients in state and federal actions and in administrative proceedings before the EEOC and other regulatory bodies. Elissa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago Law School.

This article is for information purposes only. Its contents do not constitute legal advice and readers should not regard this article as a substitute for detailed advice in individual instances

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Elissa Rossi