What Training Are Employers Required To Provide?

Having effective employee training is one of the most important responsibilities of a successful business owner. Effective training not only helps your employees be more successful and effective in their positions, but it can also educate and certify your employees in accordance with certain compliance laws, policies, and procedures. 

Below is a list of the required training most companies are legally required to provide or consider best business practices.

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Several states and some local jurisdictions require employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training based on the number of employees or other factors, including:

California—All employers with five or more employees must provide sexual harassment prevention training every two years. New employees and promoted supervisors must be trained within six months of hire/promotion. 

Connecticut—All employers with three or more employees must provide two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to all employees within six months of hire. All Connecticut employers, regardless of size, must provide sexual harassment prevention training to supervisors within six months of promotion. 

Delaware—All employers with 50 or more employees must provide sexual harassment prevention training for all employees and supervisors. The training must be interactive, and new employees must be trained within one year of hire. Supervisors must receive additional content on their responsibilities in preventing and correcting sexual harassment and the legal prohibition against retaliation.

District of Columbia—Employers who hire employees who earn tips as wages must provide sexual harassment prevention training to new employees within 90 days of hire.

Illinois—All employers are required to provide annual sexual harassment prevention  training to all employees in Illinois. Restaurant and bar owners are required to provide industry-specific sexual harassment prevention training to all employees.

Maine—All employers with 15 or more employees located or doing business in Maine must provide sexual harassment prevention training to all employees within one year of hire. Supervisors and managers must receive additional training within one year of promotion.

New York—All employers in New York are required to provide all employees with anti-harassment training annually. 

New York City—All employers in New York City with more than 15 employees are required to provide annual anti-sexual harassment training to all employees, supervisors, and managers. Employers must provide anti-sexual harassment training to new employees who work over 80 hours per year within 90 days of hire. 

Puerto Rico—All employers are required to adopt policies and provide employees with education and guidance to prevent workplace bullying and harassment. 

Washington—Under Washington law, hotel, motel, retail, security guard entity, or property services employers who employ isolated workers (defined as someone who spends the majority of their working hours alone or without another coworker present) must provide mandatory training to their managers, supervisors, and employees. The training must include content on preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace, preventing sexual discrimination in the workplace, and protections for employees who report violations of a state or federal law, rule, or regulation. 

Mandatory Reporter Training

Every state has its own mandated reporter laws, which can vary from region to region. Depending on where you live and your occupation, mandatory reporter training may be required. 

If you need to meet your mandated reporter training requirements, you can sign up and become certified today at MandatedReporterTraining.com.

California

On January 1st, 2023, California Assembly Bill 1963 went into effect, requiring companies that employ minors and have more than 5 employees to train HR employees or supervisors who became mandated reporters under the new law.

Additionally, California Assembly Bill 1432 requires educators and school personnel to take mandated reporter training annually. Licensed childcare providers in the state must take training within 90 days of employment and refresh their training every 2 years after that. 

In January 2022, California adopted CA AB 506, which requires youth service organizations to develop and implement child abuse prevention policies, including requirements for mandated reporting training for admins, employees, and full-time volunteers.

Mandated reporters in California can find profession-specific training courses at MandatedReporterTraining.com.

Illinois

In Illinois, ALL mandated reporters are required to take training within three months of employment and every three years after that. This training must be provided by the appropriate, approved organization, including the Department of Children and Family Services, the State Board of Education, or the Law Enforcement Training Standards Board.

Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, all mandated reporters who are professionally licensed by the commonwealth are required to complete training to recognize and report suspected child abuse and neglect, and can take training at MandatedReporterTraining.com.

Nevada

Mandated reporters in Nevada are required to complete training if they work at childcare facilities and are in contact with children within 90 days of their employment and every year after that. Mandatory reporters in Nevada can take training at MandatedReporterTraining.com. 

Mandated reporters employed by childcare facilities must also complete 24 hours of training. 12 of the training hours must be devoted to the care, education, and safety of children specific to the age group served by the childcare facility. 2 hours must also be devoted to the lifelong wellness, health, and safety of children and must include training relating to childhood obesity, nutrition, and physical activity. 

New York

In October 2023, New York released new requirements for mandatory reporter training. The update in training redirects focus toward ”supporting families” rather than reporting them. The new training also helps reporters develop skills to recognize signs of abuse and maltreatment in virtual settings. More than 50 professional groups, including teachers, social workers, childcare workers, doctors, and police officers, are required to take this training by April 1, 2025, in compliance with N.Y. Soc. Serv. Law § 413(5).

Safety Training

OSHA Requirements

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide training in the safety and health aspects of their positions. 

Note: This excludes self-employed workers, immediate family members of farm employers, and workers whose hazards are regulated by another federal agency (for example, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Energy, the Federal Aviation Administration, or the Coast Guard).

Here are four examples of commonly required OSHA training requirements you may see. If you would like a complete list of requirements, you can review their full guide here. 

Emergency Action Plan: Employers under OSHA regulation are required to implement emergency action plan training, instructing employees on how to assist and participate in a safe and orderly emergency evacuation. (See 29 CFR 1910.38)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Employers must provide training on how to properly wear and operate PPE. (See 29 CFR 1910.132 and 29 CFR 1910.134 for specific details on requirements for PPE.) 

Hazard Communication: Employees who interact with hazardous chemicals in the workplace must take training when they are assigned to that position and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced into their work area. (See 29 CFR 1910.1200) 

First Aid: If an infirmary, clinic, or hospital isn’t close to the workplace, the employer must provide first aid training for one or more of their employees. (See 29 CFR 1910.151)

COVID-19 Protocol Training

Depending on your position, employer, and state, there may be additional safety training than federal OSHA requirements. On June 10th, 2021, OSHA revised COVID-19 workplace guidance to mitigate and prevent the disease from spreading and required by advising employers to train workers in California and Washington. 

California

In accordance with Employers must provide training regarding COVID-19 in accordance with the Injury and Illness Prevention Program Regulation which requires employers to provide training during immenent hazards that cannot be abated without endangering employees, i.e. the pandemic. 

Washington

In accordance with Workplace Hazard Education and Health & Safety regulations, training regarding coronavirus must be provided to employees in a language they best understand. 

There are countless suggested and required employee trainings that vary from state to state and occupation to occupation. However, it’s important for employers to learn the differences and understand what is required of their employees and businesses. Always check your state’s legislature and make sure you’re aware of updates or changes that could affect how you operate. 

If your business needs to deploy sexual harassment prevention training to your organization, visit SimpleLearning.com to learn more.