Massachusetts State Sexual Harassment Training Requirements

This training should spell out the responsibilities of supervisory and managerial employees as well as the methods that they should use to ensure prompt and appropriate actions in addressing sexual harassment complaints. It is strongly suggested that employers should provide this training at no cost to the managerial staff. These mandates are stated in M.G.L. c. 151B § 3A(e). View Massachusetts Guidelines and Regulations.

The EEOC is the federal governing body that describes and enforces sexual harassment and discrimination laws. Read more at (EEOC Harassment). According to the EEOC sexual harassment and other forms of employment discrimination violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA).

The EEOC found that in 2018, 35% of workplace discrimination charges filed in Massachusetts were related to sexual harassment. These 144 charges made up 0.6% of the total sexual harassment charges in the US that year. Mandatory sexual harassment training has helped lower the number of charges brought against employers per capita. There are a number of steps the EEOC recommends that employers take to reduce their chances of liability for sexual harassment claims.

1. Implementing a strong and well understood sexual harassment policy.
2. Providing a robust sexual harassment training program for training employees and supervisors.
3. Establishing an effective complaint and grievance process, within which the employees do not have to fear retaliation.
4. An employer should act Immediately to investigate any complaint or grievance.
5. The employer should take immediate steps such as disciplinary action to stop harassment.
6. Employees should be encouraged to confront the harasser directly and inform them that the conduct is inappropriate as well as informing management and Human Resources

Sexual Harassment Training Tip: Prevention is the BEST tool.

By ensuring that employees understand and are well trained in workplace sexual harassment policies, employers can greatly reduce their chances of being liable for monetary damages in sexual harassment cases.