Preventing Sexual Harassment in California

“Sleep with me if you want to keep your job.”

Does it sound good to you? What if you have been offered as such from your superiors?

In this modern times, it’s hard to believe that sexual harassment in the workplace still exists. Sadly, it is still happening. Whether you are in a small or big organization, there’s always the tendency of being assaulted at work without even noticing it. Some would even use their power in the office to get what they want in exchange for a job security. But what is Sexual Harassment? How can you tell if it is Sexual Harassment?

According to Wikipedia, sexual harassment is bullying or coercion of a sexual nature or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In the state of California, Preventing Sexual Harassment in California harassment cases tends to increase yearly. Based on statistics from California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA), California’s rape crisis centers served 31,790 survivors of sexual violence in the state during the fiscal year 2011-2012. In the fiscal year 2011-2012, 134,322 people received community education about sexual assault in the fiscal year 2011-2012. It is estimated that there are 8.6 million survivors of sexual violence other than rape in California. There are an estimated 2 million female victims of rape in California, 5.6 million women in the state have been victims of sexual violence other than rape. It is estimated that there are 3 million male survivors of sexual violence other than rape in California. Studies suggest anywhere between 40-70% of women and 10-20% of men have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

With the increasing cases of sexual assault in California most especially from Supervisors, the California Sexual Harassment Training as required by law is vital to superiors. Also known as California State Law AB 1825 which is part of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, first became effective August 17, 2007. The legislation mandates statewide sexual harassment training for any employee who performs supervisory functions within a company of 50 employees or more. Under AB 1825, supervisors must be trained within six months of hire and undergo retraining every two years. The new training, which goes into effect January 1, 2018, stipulates that training must include specific examples of such harassment on the basis of gender identity or expression or sexual orientation and that at least a portion of the training must be presented by trainers with knowledge and expertise in these areas. To make it easy for everyone, web-based training has been established in a form of webinar and E-learning. These training solutions are consistent, compliant and don’t take away from any employee’s valuable time. Online California harassment training courses are also easily tailored to meet your organization’s unique needs in compliance with AB1825. Failure to comply will result in lawsuits amounting to thousands of violations and fines.

To the victims who failed to stand up for their rights, there is still HOPE! Sexual harassment law offers strong protection in California. There are numerous consulting firms that offer free consultations on workplace harassment.

Just speak out and don’t be afraid of sexual harassment is never pretty!