Sexual Harassment Prevention and Bystander Intervention Training Information for IL & Chicago Companies
Over the past few months, we have received numerous questions about shifting employee training requirements for IL & Chicago. Please read below for an overview of what we have learned and for helpful links leading to more detailed information.
Illinois – for any organizations based in IL, you are required to offer (and document the successful completion of) the following for all employees on an annual basis:
- 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention training for all employees (2 hours for supervisors/managers).
- You are not required to offer bystander intervention training at this time.
- To be compliant in IL for the year 2022, all trainings must be taken by December 31st, 2022.
- While many IL sexual harassment prevention trainings are compliant with the Chicago requirements, not all of them are, so if you are based in Chicago, you need to make sure to double check.
- If outside Chicago, your municipality might have additional requirements beyond the state requirements.
- You can read Clear Law Institute’s detailed explanation here.
Chicago – starting on July 1st, 2022, all employers in Chicago are required to offer (and document the successful completion of) the following for all their employees on an annual basis:
- 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention training for all employees (2 hours for supervisors/managers).
- 1 hour of bystander intervention training for all employees.
- In Chicago, the deadline for completing this process for the first cycle is June 30th, 2023.
- All employees must be offered these trainings within 6-months of their start date.
- If you complete the trainings required for Chicago, you will automatically be compliant with the IL requirements.
- You can read Clear Law Institute’s detailed explanation here (scroll down for Chicago information).
- You can find information on the City of Chicago’s website here.
Additional Notes
- If you have already offered a sexual harassment prevention training to employees that is compliant with both the IL and Chicago standards, the only new thing you will need to offer by June 30th, 2023, is the bystander intervention training.
- If the sexual harassment prevention training you have already offered is not compliant with the new Chicago standards, you will need to offer a Chicago compliant sexual harassment prevention training and a bystander intervention training by June 30th, 2023. You would need to contact your current training contractor to double check compliance.
- It is our understanding that individuals only need to take these trainings once per calendar year, even if they work at multiple organizations. However, it is the responsibility of each employer to offer the proper trainings, or make sure that each employee has completed the necessary trainings elsewhere.
Discount Offer for League Members
To help theatres offer this service to their employees, we have negotiated a 20% League member discount with a training provider called Clear Law Institute. They offer city and state compliant sexual harassment prevention and bystander intervention trainings, as well as many others. We used this company for our League staff trainings this year.
How This Will Work:
- Learn more about the available course offering from Clear Law Institute here.
- Contact Clear Law Institute directly to discuss a preliminary price for your training needs (prices per training vary dependent on numerous factors including number of employees and types of trainings).
- Our contact at Clear Law Institute is named Leigh Miracle. To get in touch with Leigh, you can set up a meeting, email (lmiracle@clearlawinstitute.com), or call (859.800.6820).
- To receive the League discount code of 20% off your final price, mention the code: “Chicago Theatres.”
- Clear Law will make sure your organization is on the list of members we provide for them. Members need to be in good standing to receive the discount.
- You would be able to use this code for your full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees, as well as any independent contractors or short-term employees that you would be willing to provide with this training.
- *Example (these are strictly ballpark figures): If a sexual harassment prevention training costs $40 per employee, your discount would give you a price of $32 per employee. You will receive further discounts if you purchase many trainings, or if you add on other trainings (like the bystander intervention training that is required in Chicago).
- The League currently uses Clear Law Institute for its own internal sexual harassment prevention and bystander intervention trainings, but we are entirely separate companies. By taking advantage of this discount offer, you agree not to hold the League of Chicago Theatres responsible for the content of the trainings provided by Clear Law Institute, any issues regarding state or local compliance requirements, or for any legal issues that may arise related to the subject matter addressed in these trainings.
If you have any questions, reach out to Jamie Abelson, Director of Programs, League of Chicago Theatres, jamie@chicagoplays.com.