California Sexual Harassment Training Requirements (2025 Updated)

Implementing workplace harassment prevention programs is more than just a guideline. The state of California actually requires it under the law. Under California sexual harassment training requirements, all employers with five or more employees are mandated to offer compliance training in an effort to prevent sexual harassment and abusive conduct at work. If you run a business in the state, it’s important to stay up to date on these training requirements.

Who Needs to Provide Training?

It doesn’t matter if your employees are part-time, temporary, or even just seasonal workers. As long as there are more than five employees throughout the year, you are legally required to offer sexual harassment training.

It’s important to be aware that employers must ensure:

• All supervisory employees receive at least two hours of training every two years
• All non-supervisory employees receive one hour of training every two years
• Any new hires or promoted supervisors receive training within six months of their start or promotion date
• The temporary and seasonal workers must receive training within 30 calendar days or 100 hours worked, depending on what comes first

These rules apply to both in-person and remote workplaces, which is another aspect of the mandate that some hybrid and remote employers are not always aware of.

What Should the Training Include?

The state of California mandates that this training must cover more than just basic definitions. Rather, it should provide viable tools to help employees recognize, prevent, and report inappropriate behavior that cannot continue at work.

For instance, these trainings should include:

• Definitions and examples of sexual harassment and abusive conduct
• Remedies available to victims of harassment
• Strategies to help prevent harassment from happening at work
• Information on your company’s reporting procedures and what protections from retaliation need to exist
• A discussion of bystander intervention and how to support coworkers who are experiencing harassment

The overall goal is to create a workplace culture where harassment is actively discouraged and respect is the norm.

What Employers Must Track

It’s not enough to just conduct sexual harassment training to check off a box. Employers must also document what happened. Proper recordkeeping is a legal requirement and can help your business demonstrate its good-faith compliance if it were to ever be challenged by a court or employee.

Some key requirements of quality recordkeeping include:

• Storing certificates of completion for each employee
• Documenting the names of trainers, training dates, and what methods were used
• Keeping these records stored for at least two years
• Ensuring that employees can easily access a copy of their training compliance if requested

Any organization that fails to maintain these records puts itself in a vulnerable position to face penalties, such as fines. This is because when asked, they would not be able to prove they were compliant with their sexual harassment training unless everything was properly documented.

Why Compliance Matters in 2025

California continues to lead the country in workplace protections. They have set high standards for both prevention and accountability. With California’s increasingly diverse workforce and consistently high volume of harassment-related complaints, proactive education is one of the most effective tools to create a respectful and inclusive environment for all to work in.

By providing this training, companies in California can:

• Reduce their risk of costly lawsuits and penalties by ensuring employees understand what behavior is acceptable
• Boost employee morale and trust in leadership by showing their well-being and dignity are taken seriously
• Demonstrate a commitment to legal compliance and workplace safety to improve your reputation with clients, partners, and potential new hires
• Help maintain a clear and respectful workplace culture where employees feel empowered to speak up and help one another out when needed

As organizations continue to operate and work hard through 2025, it’s important to take a moment and recognize how California sexual harassment training requirements are an important, non-negotiable part of doing business responsibly.

FAQs

Q: What Training Is Mandatory in California?

A: California mandates many different types of workplace training to ensure a safe and compliant workforce across the state. In addition to providing sexual harassment training, depending on the industry and role, other required training might be required, such as workplace violence prevention, safety protocols, and anti-discrimination measures. To ensure you are compliant with the latest requirements, connect with a Rocklin employment attorney to audit your training programs.

Q: Are Contractors Required to Take Harassment Training in California?

A: While there is no legal requirement in California that mandates contractors to take harassment training from their employers, it is still highly recommended by the legal community. When you provide training across the organization, including contractors, it helps to mitigate any risks that could happen when trained vs. untrained employees intermingle at work. This helps to ensure everyone understands what behavior is appropriate and will keep them employed.

Q: Is Online Training Acceptable for Compliance?

A: Yes, online training is an acceptable method to deliver your training as long as the content still meets the state’s requirements for interactivity and topics. Employers need to ensure that if they choose to employ online programs, the content they are sending to their employees is up-to-date and provides opportunities for employee engagement, such as quizzes or interactive scenarios.

Q: Are There Consequences for Failing to Provide Mandatory Training?

A: Yes, employers can face some significant penalties if they choose to ignore their training requirements. For instance, noncompliance may be used against you as an employer in a harassment lawsuit. This could increase your liability. This is why ensuring timely and comprehensive training is not only a legal obligation but also a proactive measure to help prevent unnecessary legal issues down the road.

Contact Fulton Law Corporation Today

Navigating California’s evolving workplace standards can be overwhelming for both employees and employers. At Fulton Law Corporation, we are here to make it a little bit easier to manage. Whether you need guidance on the state’s training requirements or would like us to review your current education program to see if we have any professional recommendations, we are standing by, ready to get started. Contact us today.

See Related Posts:

• How to Prove Sexual Harassment at a Workplace in California? (2025)
• What Is Intersectional Harassment in the California Workplace? 2025