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Home›Courses›HR Compliance›Sexual Harassment for Employees

Sexual Harassment for Employees

21 minutesEN / ES / MLCCHR ComplianceTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - EEOC enforcement guidance
Quick Answer

Sexual Harassment for Employees is a 21-minute online course that trains employees to identify, respond to, and report sexual harassment in the workplace as prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is designed for all employees in any industry and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Sexual harassment charges filed with the EEOC rose to 7,732 in fiscal year 2023, continuing an upward trend since the #MeToo movement brought national attention to workplace harassment. Between FY 2018 and FY 2021, the EEOC received over 27,000 sexual harassment charges and recovered nearly $300 million for victims through resolved charges and litigation. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits sexual harassment in workplaces with 15 or more employees, and many states extend protections to smaller employers. Employers who demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to prevent harassment - including providing training - have stronger defenses when claims arise.

This course prepares your employees to recognize the different forms of sexual harassment, understand their rights, and know exactly how to report unwelcome conduct. The curriculum covers quid pro quo harassment, hostile work environment claims, the line between inappropriate humor and actionable harassment, office romance considerations, favoritism, and the step-by-step process for confronting and reporting harassment. Your employees learn what protections exist under federal law and how to use internal complaint mechanisms and external reporting channels effectively.

What You'll Learn

  • Forms of sexual harassment under Title VII, including verbal, physical, and visual harassment
  • The distinction between quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment claims
  • Inappropriate behavior and humor in the workplace and when it crosses the line into actionable harassment
  • Office romance between coworkers and the compliance risks it creates
  • Favoritism, exclusion, and unequal treatment as forms of discriminatory conduct
  • How to react when experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment
  • Step-by-step procedures for confronting the harasser and formally reporting the conduct
  • Retaliation protections for employees who file complaints or participate in investigations

Who Needs This Training

  • All non-supervisory employees as part of an annual or biennial harassment prevention training program
  • New hires during onboarding to establish workplace conduct expectations from day one
  • Employees at companies in states that mandate general sexual harassment training (outside state-specific requirements)
  • Frontline workers in customer-facing, retail, hospitality, and healthcare roles where harassment risk is elevated
  • Remote and hybrid employees who need training on harassment that occurs through digital communication channels
  • Organizations updating their training program following an internal complaint, investigation, or settlement

Regulatory Background

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as enforced by the EEOC, prohibits workplace sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. The statute applies to employers with 15 or more employees, though many states extend protections to smaller employers. The EEOC received 7,732 sexual harassment charges in FY 2023, up from 5,581 in FY 2021 - a 39% increase over two years. Between FY 2018 and FY 2021, the EEOC recovered nearly $300 million for sexual harassment victims. In April 2024, the EEOC updated its enforcement guidance on workplace harassment for the first time since 1999, identifying harassment prevention as a top strategic enforcement priority for 2024-2028. While no standalone federal law mandates sexual harassment training for private employers, the EEOC recognizes training as a critical component of an employer's reasonable care defense under the Faragher-Ellerth framework established by the Supreme Court.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no standalone federal statute that mandates sexual harassment training for private employers. However, several states and cities do require it, including California, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, and Maine, among others. Even where training is not legally required, the EEOC and the Supreme Court's Faragher-Ellerth framework recognize that training is a key factor in determining whether an employer exercised reasonable care to prevent harassment. Employers who train proactively have significantly stronger legal defenses.
Quid pro quo harassment occurs when a person in authority conditions an employment benefit - such as a promotion, raise, or continued employment - on the submission to sexual advances or conduct. Hostile work environment harassment involves unwelcome conduct based on sex that is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Both forms are prohibited under Title VII.
Under federal Title VII, individual employees generally cannot be held personally liable as the statute applies to employers, not individual workers. However, many state and local laws do allow personal liability. For example, the New York City Human Rights Law permits claims against individual harassers, and some states allow personal liability for aiding and abetting discriminatory conduct. The harasser may also face criminal liability in cases involving physical assault or stalking.
Federal and state laws prohibit retaliation against employees who report harassment or participate in investigations. An employee should report the harassment through their employer's internal complaint process, document the conduct in writing with dates and details, and preserve any evidence such as emails or messages. If the employee fears internal retaliation, they can also file a charge directly with the EEOC (within 180 or 300 days depending on the state) or with their state's fair employment agency.
This course provides comprehensive federal-level sexual harassment prevention training suitable for employers in states without specific training mandates. It does not replace state-specific courses for states with particular content requirements, such as California (SB1343), New York (NYSHRL Section 201-g), Connecticut (Time's Up Act), or Delaware (HB 360). Employers operating in those states should use the corresponding state-specific course to ensure full compliance.

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Employers training employees on sexual harassment should also enroll their supervisors in Sexual Harassment for Managers, which covers the additional responsibilities managers carry for preventing and responding to harassment. Organizations building a complete compliance program can pair both courses with Sexual Harassment: Investigating Complaints for HR professionals who handle formal allegations.

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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, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

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

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$24.95
per person