Effective July 1, 2022, a new Sexual Harassment law will become effective with new policy and training mandates. These requirements apply to all employers who maintain a business facility in Chicago or are subject to Chicago licensing requirements.
The new law requires employers have a written policy on sexual harassment. The policy must be available to employees in their primary language and made available to the employee during their first week of employment. The minimum requirements for the policy are:
- A statement that sexual harassment is illegal in Chicago;
- The definition of sexual harassment;
- Examples of prohibited conduct;
- Procedures for reporting complaints;
- A description of legal services available to victims of sexual harassment; and
- A statement that retaliation for reporting sexual harassment is illegal.
In addition to updated policy requirements, the law mandates sexual harassment training. All employers must provide 1 hour of sexual harassment training for all employees, 2 hours for all supervisors/managers, and 1 hour of bystander training for all employees. The Illinois State training template is available for employers. The City of Chicago also will provide training modules for the supervisor and bystander trainings by July 1, 2022.
Employers have little time to comply with this law. If you maintain a business facility in Chicago or are subject to Chicago licensing requirements, you need to update your policies and training requirements as soon as possible to avoid penalties.
Brody and Associates regularly advises management on complying with the latest local, state and federal employment laws. We also provide supervisory training both online and in person. If we can be of assistance in this area, please contact us at info@brodyandassociates.com or 203.454.0560
