By Ashley Holsey, SPHR, PHR
Creating a respectful workplace is more than a legal requirement; it’s a critical component of a healthy, productive, and inclusive work environment. California employers are required to provide harassment prevention training, but the benefits extend far beyond compliance. Effective training helps employees understand workplace expectations, recognize inappropriate behavior, and contribute to a culture built on professionalism, accountability, and respect.
Who Must Complete the Training?
California law requires:
- All employees to complete one hour of training.
- Managers and supervisors to complete two hours of training.
Training is required for organizations with 5 or more employees at all levels, including independent contractors and seasonal or temporary employees. (Employers are not required to train independent contractors; however, they are included when counting number of employees.) Harassment Prevention training helps ensure employees understand their rights, responsibilities, and the standards for maintaining a respectful workplace.
When Is Training Required?
Employees (non-supervisory employees) and supervisors are required to complete training every two years to maintain compliance. Training can be tracked on a “training year basis” or a specific date basis, such as an anniversary of employment. Newly hired or newly promoted supervisors must complete their training within six months of assuming a supervisory role, while new employees should be trained within six months of hire, when applicable. For seasonal, temporary, or short-term employees expected to work fewer than six months, training must be completed within 30 calendar days of hire or within the first 100 hours worked, whichever comes first.
Regular training helps organizations stay compliant while reinforcing workplace expectations and best practices.
Why Is Respect in the Workplace Training Important?
Respect in the Workplace training goes beyond compliance. It helps organizations:
- Foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
- Educate employees about harassment, discrimination, and abusive conduct.
- Reduce the risk of workplace complaints and legal claims.
- Empower employees to recognize and report inappropriate behavior.
- Strengthen communication, professionalism, and mutual respect across teams.
When employees understand workplace expectations and feel safe and respected, organizations benefit from improved morale, engagement, and productivity.
Flexible Training Options Through Silvers HR
At Silvers HR, we understand that every organization has unique training needs. That’s why we offer several convenient options to help your team stay compliant:
- In-person training sessions
- Live webinars
- On-demand training through our trusted third-party learning platform
On-demand training can provide employees with the flexibility to complete training on their own schedule, making it an excellent solution for organizations with remote employees, multiple locations, or scheduling challenges. It is a convenient and effective option when bringing everyone together for a live session isn’t practical.
In addition to California’s harassment prevention training requirements, on-demand offers a variety of compliance and workplace culture courses, including topics such as workplace violence prevention, diversity and inclusion, ethics, communication, and other workplace conduct training. These resources help organizations build knowledgeable, engaged teams while supporting ongoing compliance efforts.
Whether you prefer instructor-led training or self-paced learning, Silvers can help you find the right solution for your organization.
Contact us today to learn more about our rates, training options, and how we can help keep your workplace compliant, respectful, and engaged.