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Home›Courses›HR Compliance›Abusive Conduct in the Workplace: California AB2053

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace: California AB2053

15 minutesEN / ESHR ComplianceCalifornia AB 2053 (Gov. Code Section 12950.1); SB 1343; AB 1825
Quick Answer

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace: California AB 2053 is a 15-minute online course that trains supervisory employees on the prevention of abusive conduct as required by California Assembly Bill 2053. It is designed for supervisors and managers at California employers with five or more employees and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

California AB 2053, effective January 1, 2015, requires all California employers with five or more employees to include abusive conduct prevention training as a component of their mandatory sexual harassment training under AB 1825 and SB 1343. The California Civil Rights Department (formerly DFEH) enforces these requirements and can seek court orders compelling non-compliant employers to provide the training. While AB 2053 does not create a private right of action for abusive conduct alone, failure to provide the required training weakens an employer's defense in harassment lawsuits and can result in increased damages if a jury finds the employer was non-compliant.

This course trains your supervisors on what constitutes abusive conduct under California law, how to distinguish it from legitimate management actions, and how to intervene before workplace bullying escalates into unlawful harassment. Your team will learn the legal definition of abusive conduct under California Government Code Section 12950.1, recognize warning signs of bullying behavior, and understand their reporting obligations as supervisors under FEHA.

What You'll Learn

  • Legal definition of abusive conduct under California Government Code Section 12950.1
  • Distinction between abusive conduct and legitimate workplace management decisions
  • Types of behavior constituting abusive conduct, including verbal abuse, intimidation, and sabotage of work performance
  • The relationship between workplace bullying and unlawful harassment under FEHA
  • Supervisor obligations to report and address abusive conduct in the workplace
  • Practical examples and scenarios illustrating abusive conduct in various work settings
  • Employer liability implications when abusive conduct is not addressed

Who Needs This Training

  • Supervisors and managers at California employers with five or more employees
  • HR directors responsible for ensuring compliance with California harassment training mandates
  • Team leads and forepersons who meet the FEHA definition of supervisory employee
  • Newly promoted supervisors who must complete training within six months of assuming their role
  • Operations managers at multi-state companies with California-based employees
  • Compliance officers overseeing AB 1825, SB 1343, and AB 2053 training programs

Regulatory Background

California Assembly Bill 2053, codified at California Government Code Section 12950.1, took effect on January 1, 2015 and requires employers to include prevention of abusive conduct as a component of their mandatory harassment training. Under SB 1343, which expanded the training mandate in 2019, all California employers with five or more employees must now provide two hours of harassment prevention training to supervisors and one hour to non-supervisory employees every two years, with abusive conduct content included. The law defines abusive conduct as workplace behavior conducted with malice that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer's legitimate business interests. The California Civil Rights Department enforces these requirements and has authority to seek injunctive relief against non-compliant employers. While AB 2053 does not independently create a private right of action, courts consider training compliance when assessing employer liability in harassment cases, and non-compliance can lead to increased damages.

Frequently Asked Questions

AB 2053 does not independently make abusive conduct illegal or create a private right of action for bullying. It requires that abusive conduct prevention be included in the mandatory sexual harassment training that California employers must already provide under AB 1825 and SB 1343. However, if abusive conduct is based on a protected characteristic such as race, gender, or disability, it may constitute unlawful harassment under FEHA.
AB 2053 training must be provided as part of the harassment prevention training required every two years under SB 1343. Supervisors must receive two hours of training, while non-supervisory employees must receive one hour. New employees must be trained within six months of hire, and newly promoted supervisors must be trained within six months of assuming their supervisory role.
California Government Code Section 12950.1 defines abusive conduct as conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer's legitimate business interests. It may include repeated verbal abuse such as derogatory remarks, insults, and epithets, threatening or intimidating behavior, humiliation, or gratuitous sabotage of a person's work performance. A single act generally does not constitute abusive conduct unless it is especially severe and egregious.
This course covers the abusive conduct prevention component required by AB 2053. California law requires that abusive conduct training be integrated into the broader harassment prevention training under AB 1825 and SB 1343. Employers should ensure this course is delivered alongside or as part of a comprehensive harassment prevention training program that covers all required topics, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
The California Civil Rights Department can seek a court order requiring non-compliant employers to provide the training. While there is no specific monetary fine for failure to train, non-compliance significantly weakens an employer's legal defense in harassment lawsuits. If an employee brings a harassment claim and the employer failed to provide required training, a jury may consider that failure when determining liability and may award increased damages.

Related Courses

California employers often pair this course with Harassment in California: The Protected Groups to address the full scope of FEHA training requirements, and with Workplace Dynamics: Bullying and Boundaries for a deeper look at preventing hostile workplace behaviors across their organization.

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$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95
Language

This course is available in English and Spanish at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$24.95
per person