New Training Mandate for Employees Now in Effect

January 24, 2020

Certain provisions of Senate Bill 75/101-0221 enacted last summer require that all Illinois employers provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees each year, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

The legislation also requires the Illinois Department of Human Rights to produce a “model training program” for the prevention of sexual harassment, which is to be made available to the general public at no cost. Employers may use the model training program or if they prefer to develop their own, it must equal or exceed the model training program.

An employer who does not comply with the new training requirements is subject to civil penalties. For example, employers with fewer than four employees may face penalties of up to $500 for a first offense, up to $1,000 for a second offense, and up to $3,000 for three or more offenses.

ISMS will notify our members when the Illinois Department of Human Rights program becomes available.

The Illinois General Assembly passed this legislation unanimously last summer

The new training requirements do not apply to state employers.

Questions? Please contact ISMS Vice President of Legislative Affairs Erin O'Brien at 312-580-6488.