Connecticut Sexual Harassment Training: Laws, Requirements, Preventions

From child sexual abuse to coercive sex among college-goers, cases of sexual harassment in Connecticut are more widespread than one would like to think. In this blog, I’ll be focusing on an offense that is no less degrading to victims. I am talking about sexual harassment at the workplace.

No respectable company would want to see any of their employees being victimized due to someone’s sexual misconduct and being in the news in connection with sexual harassment lawsuits.

To save companies from humiliation, pain, disgrace, and other liabilities, Connecticut has enacted its own set of laws and regulations pertaining to workplace sexual harassment.

Let’s go over the Connecticut or CT sexual harassment training requirements and other related topics.

What is Connecticut Sexual Harassment Training?

CT sexual harassment training is a compliance training mandated by state laws. Like similar laws in other states (see sexual harassment training requirements by state), this program aims to help build a harassment-free work environment through a standard code of conduct so that companies stay within the legal parameters.

Along with the specific guidelines of regulatory agencies, company sexual harassment policies are generally used by businesses to deliver the training.

It is necessary to understand the applicable laws inside out to make sure that you deploy the training successfully.

Let’s now look at some of the current workplace harassment laws in place in Connecticut and what they mean for companies in the state.

Watch: What Are the Connecticut Sexual Harassment Training Requirements?

CT Sexual Harassment Training Laws & Requirements

The Connecticut state laws give a broad definition of what constitutes sexual harassment and what organizations must do to safeguard the sanctity of their workplace.

The Connecticut Discrimination Employment Practices Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace.

The main laws and requirements governing workplace sexual harassment are:

👉 Employers with three or more employees should provide training to their employees.

👉 Employers having less than three employees are required to train only the supervisors.

👉 New hires are supposed to receive the training within six months of joining the office.

👉 The training should be of two hours’ duration.

👉 Employers must provide updated supplemental training to employees every 10 years.

👉 Employers must place in “prominent and accessible locations” posters on the illegality of sexual harassment as well as the remedies available to victims.

As a best practice, only qualified trainers should train employees in fulfilling the Connecticut sexual harassment training requirements.

Who Needs Connecticut Sexual Harassment Training?

Connecticut employment laws against sexual harassment are stringent. Companies doing business in Connecticut or companies from other states having employees in Connecticut must provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees.

For example, if a New York employer has 30 employees in New York but one employee in Connecticut, the employer must provide two hours of Connecticut sexual harassment training to the Connecticut employee.

While employers with three or more employees in Connecticut must provide training to all employees, employers with fewer than three employees in the state must provide the training to supervisors.

What Topics Do You Need to Cover in the Training?

The Time’s Up Act expanded the existing legal provisions in the state. Under the act, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities or CHRO sexual harassment training requirements should include:

1. 1. • Information on sexual harassment along with the remedies
      • Training videos
      • Written materials
      • Anti-sexual harassment posters

Generally, the CT sexual harassment prevention training topics cover the following areas:

1. 1. • Unconscious bias
      • Workplace Diversity
      • Bullying
      • Sexual orientation and gender identity
      • Sexual harassment
      • Retaliation
      • Bystander intervention
      • Protections under federal & state laws
      • Company policies and procedures for handling complaints
      • Building a positive workplace culture

CT Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Like any other compliance training program, the Connecticut sexual harassment training requires a few elements for success. One of them is an online training course. These courses should be professionally designed, accurate, interactive, and up-to-date. 

They should include practical examples and real-life scenarios so that employees become situation-ready and can make decisions at the right time.

When you run such a program, you should keep continuing education in mind since this type of compliance training is recurring by nature. For workplace harassment training to be effective in the long run, employers should shift the focus from mere compliance with laws to actual prevention.

In other words, the training results should be measurable.

Watch: How to Conduct Employee Sexual Harassment Training in the Workplace

Sexual harassment training software such as ProProfs Training Maker make another essential component in these training programs. They help you optimize and take charge of online training for maximized results.

As a complete learning & development solution, ProProfs helps you create your own training courses in minutes, share them with anyone, anytime, anywhere, and on any device, and provide you delightful reports & analytics.

The tool is customizable to suit each business’ specific training needs. You can add custom design, including branding, assign learning paths, add quizzes, set up reminders, and add a course expiration date.

The best part is that you can upload a variety of content types such as docs, audio, videos, and presentations. This ensures that you cater to different audiences with different training formats to satisfy their learning preferences.

Read More: What is CA Sexual Harassment Training For Supervisors? Legal Requirements & Prevention

Training Recordkeeping in Connecticut

Training records not only serve the purpose of regulatory compliance but also help with internal training management. You get ready access to information as to who was trained and when as well as who needs retraining.

While there are no express official requirements for sexual harassment training recordkeeping in Connecticut, the CHRO encourages the maintenance of training records for not less than one year. Such records should include:

1. 1. • Documentation of the training content provided to learners
      • Qualifications and contact details of the training administrator
      • Attendance sheet
      • Training schedules
      • Details of participant employees

Penalties for Non-Compliance

According to the CT workplace harassment laws, if an employer fails to provide the mandated training, it will be termed a discriminatory practice.

The fine for failure to issue the required harassment notices is $750.

An employer should not revise the employment conditions of an employee who complains of harassment without that employee’s written consent and unless the employer can substantiate that the revision was reasonable and not against the interest of the complainant.

Corrective actions include employee relocation and changes in a shift.

Best Course for Mandatory Training

Choosing the best course for Connecticut sexual harassment training is a critical step in conducting the training successfully. There are many free and paid sexual harassment training courses available online.

One of them is offered by ProProfs. It is an expert-designed course specific to Connecticut.

The course is designed for both employees and supervisors working in different industries, and it meets all state and federal requirements.

You can use the course as it is or modify it to fit your unique needs.

Quiz, survey, collaboration tool, and knowledge base are some of the in-course features you’ll find in ProProfs.

Upon completion of this online course, learners will be able to:

1. 1. • Understand all the laws governing sexual harassment
      • Identify sexual harassment in the workplace
      • Effectively respond to cases of sexual harassment
      • Know the roles of employers and employees

This Connecticut mandatory sexual harassment training course is 100% online and can be accessed from anywhere and at any time.

Read More: Maine Sexual Harassment Training: Everything You Need to Know

Strengthen Your Workplace With CT Sexual Harassment Training

That’s a detailed look at the Connecticut sexual harassment training from different angles. Once you’ve understood these mandatory requirements and the significance behind them, you’ll find it easier to implement them fully. Only then can you safeguard your employees and organization from sexual harassment.

If you’re looking to deploy a sexual harassment training program shortly, we can help you. ProProfs Training Maker is a flexible and scalable cloud SaaS that offers complete solutions for compliance training. You can leverage it to streamline your online employee training.