2026 Guide for Sexual Harassment Training Requirements by State, Province, and City

Keeping up with sexual harassment training laws in the U.S., and other Global Provinces is… a lot.

There’s no single nationwide mandate for private employers. Instead, you’re dealing with a patchwork of state laws, city ordinances, industry-specific rules, and strong federal “encouragement” from the EEOC. If you have a distributed workforce, that complexity multiplies quickly.

Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment curriculum is built to take this legislative puzzle off your plate. Our course model tracks state, city, and federal requirements and maps those requirements to your employee locations, so you’re not trying to maintain a spreadsheet or chase changing rules.

This guide walks through:

• Which states and cities have mandatory or recommended harassment training
• How long training typically needs to be
• A state-by-state overview of the current landscape
• Key city-specific obligations for Chicago, New York City, and Washington, DC
• International requirements for Canada, UK, Australia, and India
• Why training is still a best practice everywhere, even without a mandate

Important disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently and may be interpreted differently by courts and agencies. Always consult your legal counsel to determine how these laws apply to your organization.

Which states and cities require sexual harassment training?

Jurisdictions with mandatory private-sector training

For private employers, the most notable statewide mandates today include:

• California – Broad requirement for employers with 5+ employees, including seasonal and temporary employees.
• Connecticut – Broad requirement, with coverage determined by employer size.
• Delaware – Employers with 50+ employees must train employees and supervisors.
• Illinois – All employers must provide annual sexual harassment prevention training.
• Maine – Mandatory training for employers with 15+ employees.
• New York – Annual interactive training for all employees.
• Washington – Mandatory training for certain “isolated workers” in hotel, motel, retail, security, and property services sectors, with expanded coverage effective Jan. 1, 2026. (Washington State Legislature)

There are also targeted mandates in some public-sector and contractor contexts—for example, Virginia state contractors and legislative employees who meet specific contract thresholds must complete sexual harassment training. (Virginia HR Management)

Cities with their own harassment training laws

On top of state laws, several cities have independent—or stricter—requirements:

• Chicago, IL
• New York City, NY
• Washington, DC (tipped workers)

We’ll break these out separately in the “City-Specific Requirements” section.

Jurisdictions recommending training

Some jurisdictions don’t mandate harassment training for most private employers but explicitly encourage it in statute or agency guidance. For example, states like Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont reference or recommend sexual harassment training as part of broader anti-discrimination or workplace rights frameworks.

All other jurisdictions

For the remaining states, there is no specific harassment training mandate for most private employers. However, the EEOC strongly recommends “regular, interactive, comprehensive training” for all employees as a core harassment-prevention practice.

That means even when the law doesn’t require a course, training is still one of the best tools to reduce risk, support employees, and demonstrate “reasonable care” in the event of a claim.

This includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

How long is sexual harassment training supposed to be?

There is no universal one-size-fits-all duration—but there are clear patterns:

• Where training is mandated, laws usually require 1–2 hours of training, often:
  • 2 hours for managers/supervisors
  • 1 hour for non-supervisory employees 
• In jurisdictions without a mandated duration, many employers choose 30–60 minutes annually, aligning with EEOC guidance that training be regular, comprehensive, and refreshed over time.
• Emtrain typically delivers:
  • 30–60 minute employee modules
  • 60–120 minute manager modules
    Configured to match jurisdictional duration rules while allowing annual reinforcement and ongoing micro-learning.

In the state summaries below, we flag where statutes spell out minimum time requirements.

State-by-state Harassment Training Overview

Below is a high-level overview of each state’s current harassment training posture. For mandated states, we highlight core requirements; for others, we focus on risk-management best practices and how Emtrain fits in.

Note: This summary is focused on private-sector employers. Many states have separate rules for state agencies, legislatures, or specific industries that may impose additional obligations.

Alabama

• Mandatory training? No state-level requirement for private employers.
• Recommended: Alabama employers should still implement periodic harassment prevention training aligned with EEOC guidance to reduce risk and reinforce company policy.

Alaska

• Mandatory training? No state-level requirement for private employers.
• Recommended: Use training to set clear expectations around workplace behavior, reporting, and retaliation protections—especially for isolated or remote workers.

Arizona

• Mandatory training? None for private employers.
• Recommended: Employees are protected from workplace discrimination under the Arizona Civil Rights Act. Regular training helps document that your organization took reasonable steps to prevent harassment under Title VII.

Arkansas

• Mandatory training? None for private employers.
• Recommended: Emtrain’s US harassment course can be deployed company-wide to align with federal standards and internal policy.

California

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered? Employers with 5 or more employees (including seasonal and temporary workers).
• Who must be trained?
  • All supervisors and managers
  • All non-supervisory employees, including part-time
  • Seasonal/temporary employees within 30 days or 100 hours worked
• Duration & frequency:
  • Supervisors: 2 hours every 2 years
  • Employees: 1 hour every 2 years
  • Emtrain often delivers this as hourly annual modules while still meeting the two-year statutory requirement. (Emtrain Training Requirements)
• Key content points:
  • Definitions and examples of sexual harassment
  • Abusive conduct (bullying)
  • Gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation harassment
  • Anti-retaliation protections and complaint procedures
• Emtrain lens: Emtrain’s California path incorporates SB 1343 nuances and is available in English and Spanish, with interactive scenarios tailored to California law.
• Resources: California Harassment Training Requirements
  • California Government Code 
  • California Code of Regulations 

Emtrain’s Founder and CEO Janine Yancey was asked by the California Legislature to provide expert testimony regarding SB 1343 and help draft the final language of Senate Bill 1343 (SB 1343).

 

 

 

Colorado

• Mandatory training? No broad private-sector mandate, but state agencies and regulators strongly encourage training, and state employees receive required training.
• Recommended audience: All employees covered by Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws
• Focus: Preventing harassment based on protected characteristics under state and federal law

Connecticut

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered?
  • 3+ employees: All employees must receive training
  • Fewer than 3 employees: Supervisors must be trained
• Duration & frequency:
  • 2 hours of interactive training for covered employees
  • Within 6 months of hire or promotion
  • Law requires training at least every 10 years, but Connecticut regulators expect supplemental refreshers, and best practice is more frequent updates.
• Key content points (per CT law and CHRO guidance):
  • Statutory definitions & examples of sexual harassment
  • Rights and remedies for employees
  • Complaint procedures and anti-retaliation
  • Supervisor obligations to respond and report
• Emtrain lens: Emtrain’s Connecticut harassment path is built to meet the Time’s Up Act requirements with interactive content, FAQs, and built-in tracking for compliance.

Delaware

• Mandatory training? Yes for many employers.
• Who’s covered? Employers with 50+ employees in Delaware.
• Who must be trained? All employees (within 1 year of hire) and supervisors (within 1 year of becoming a supervisor)
• Frequency: Every 2 years
• Content: Illegality of sexual harassment, examples, complaint process, remedies, and anti-retaliation, plus supervisor responsibilities

Emtrain’s Delaware path includes these elements and can be targeted to your Delaware workforce.

Florida

• Mandatory training? No statewide mandate for private employers.
• Recommended: Make training part of your defense strategy: document participation, content, and timing for all Florida-based employees.

Georgia

• Mandatory training? None for private employers.
• Recommended: Consider yearly refresher training tied to your anti-harassment and anti-retaliation policy.

Hawaii

• Mandatory training? No statewide private-sector requirement, though some state entities do train legislatively or by policy.
• Employees are protected by HRS §12-46-109, which bans sexual harassment.
• Recommended: Training should cover federal law plus Hawaii-specific protected characteristics.

Idaho

• Mandatory training? No statewide private-sector requirement.
• Employees are protected under the Idaho Human Rights Act.
• Recommended: EEOC-style harassment training is recommended by many compliance advisors to mitigate risk.

Illinois

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered? All employers with any employees working in Illinois, including remote workers who work in the state. 
• Frequency: At least annually
• Content: Definition and examples of sexual harassment, overview of relevant federal and Illinois law, complaint avenues, and employer responsibilities
• Restaurants & bars: Additional industry-specific topics and bilingual requirements
• Emtrain lens: Emtrain’s Illinois training path aligns with the Illinois Department of Human Rights model content and can be assigned annually to Illinois-based staff.

Indiana

• Mandatory training? None for private employers at the state level.
• Recommended: Annual harassment prevention training for all employees and managers.

Iowa

• Mandatory training? None for private employers.
• Employees are protected under the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965, which classifies harassment as a form of discrimination.

Kansas

• Mandatory training? None for private employers, although states may require training for legislators or state agencies by internal policy.
• Policies: Companies must outline their anti-sexual harassment policy in their employee handbook.
• Recommended: Kansas Human Rights Commission

Kentucky

• Mandatory training? No explicit private-sector requirement.

Louisiana

• Mandatory training? No general private-sector harassment training law, though there are policies for state employees.
• State employees are required to complete a minimum of one hour of sexual harassment training per year.

Maine

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered? Employers with 15 or more employees.
• Who must be trained? All new employees within 1 year of hire; additional training for supervisors/managers within 1 year of assuming their role
• Content: Illegality of sexual harassment, examples, complaint channels, Maine Human Rights Commission contact info, and protection from retaliation
• Recordkeeping: Employers must maintain training records for at least 3 years

Emtrain’s Maine-specific path covers these legal details with scenario-based learning.

Maryland

• Mandatory training? No broad private-sector requirement at the state level.

Massachusetts

• Mandatory training? Not mandated, but strongly recommended in state guidance. 
• Who should be trained? New employees (within 1 year of hire) and supervisors, with periodic refreshers and Companies with six employees or more must adopt a written policy against sexual harassment.
• Focus: Reinforcing the employer’s written anti-harassment policy and complaint process

Michigan

• Mandatory training? None at the state level for private employers.

Minnesota

• Mandatory training? No general private-sector requirement, though some sectors and public entities may have internal training rules.

Mississippi

• Mandatory training? None at the state level.

Missouri

• Mandatory training? None at the state level.

Montana

• Mandatory training? None at the state level.

Nebraska

• Mandatory training? No statewide requirement for private employers, though state agencies may have internal training policies.
• Employers must provide “anti-harassment training to all employees.”

Nevada

• Mandatory training? No broad private-sector training requirement, though Nevada strongly enforces anti-discrimination laws.
• State employees must complete sexual harassment training within six months of being hired.
• Employees must take refresher classes at least once every two years.

New Hampshire

• Mandatory training? No training statute for private employers.

New Jersey

• Mandatory training? No general private-sector statute mandating harassment training, though agencies recommend it and some public-sector roles require it.
• Training is required for state employees and highly encouraged for private businesses.

New Mexico

• Mandatory training? None for private employers at the state level.

New York

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered? All employers with employees working in New York State, including remote employees who work any portion of their time in NY.
• Who must be trained? All employees, including part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers
• Frequency: Annually
• Format: Training must be interactive (for example, through questions, discussions, or online interactivity)
• Content: Definitions and examples of sexual harassment, complaint channels (internal and external), anti-retaliation protections, and supervisor responsibilities
• Emtrain lens: Emtrain’s New York training path aligns with state model policy and training guidance and can layer in NYC-specific details when needed.

North Carolina

• Mandatory training? No statewide private-sector requirement.

North Dakota

• Mandatory training? None for private employers.

Ohio

• Mandatory training? No state-level requirement, though Ohio civil rights enforcement strongly encourages proactive training.

Oklahoma

• Mandatory training? None for private employers.

Oregon

• Mandatory training? Not mandated for private employers statewide, but agency guidance recommends harassment training as part of a compliant workplace.
• Recommended: Training should explain your anti-harassment policy, complaint procedures, and what constitutes prohibited conduct.

Pennsylvania

• Mandatory training? No general private-sector requirement, though some Pennsylvania employers may adopt training policies due to court decisions and risk concerns.
• Training is required for state employees (with some departments requiring additional training).

Rhode Island

• Mandatory training? No statewide mandate, but training is recommended, particularly for employers with 50+ employees.
• Recommended: Training for new state employees and supervisors within 1 year of hire, covering policy content, examples, consequences, and complaint channels.

South Carolina

• Mandatory training? None at the state level for private employers.

South Dakota

• Mandatory training? No general private-sector training requirement, though some sources list SD among states where training is recommended for certain employers. 

Tennessee

• Mandatory training? No statewide private-sector requirement, though some state entities require training.

Texas

• Mandatory training? No broad state-level mandate for private employers, but Texas agencies highly emphasize prevention and responsive policies. Training is mandatory for workplaces associated with the state agencies within 30 days of hiring. Refresher training must be supplied every two years.

Utah

• Mandatory training? No board general mandate for private sector but yes at the state level.
• Training is only mandatory for state employees at the time of hiring and at least every two years.

Vermont

• Mandatory training? Not strictly required for private employers, but Vermont guidance encourages training, especially for supervisors and new hires.

Virginia

• Mandatory training? Targeted mandates only, Highly Recommended
• Practical Takeaways:
  • Legislative branch employees must receive harassment training on a recurring schedule. (EEO Training LLC)
  • Certain state contractors with contracts over $10,000 and 5+ employees must ensure workers complete the state’s sexual harassment training module. (Virginia HR Management)
  • No explicit mandate for private employers outside these contexts, but training is strongly recommended.

Emtrain’s US course can be configured to flag Virginia-specific obligations for covered contractors.

Washington

• Mandatory training? Yes – for covered industries and “isolated employees.”
• Who’s covered? Hotel, motel, retail, and security guard entities, plus property services contractors, employing “isolated workers.” (Washington State Legislature)
• Who must be trained? Managers, supervisors, and isolated employees
• Content: Prevention of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual discrimination, whistleblower protections, and information on reporting resources
• Devices: Covered employers must also provide “panic buttons” to certain workers
• Effective expansion: Recent amendments expand and clarify coverage starting January 1, 2026. (SpotOn HR | Powered by OneDigital)

Emtrain’s Washington training path tracks these evolving requirements and can be filtered by job category.

West Virginia

• Mandatory training? No statewide private-sector requirement. Some state offices adopt internal harassment-training policies. Employers are encouraged to train employees and “take all steps necessary to prevent sexual harassment from occurring.”

Wisconsin

• Mandatory training? None at the state level for private employers, but encourage.

Wyoming

• Mandatory training? None at the state level for private employers, but encourage.

City-specific harassment training requirements

Several cities overlay additional rules on top of state law. If you have employees in these locations, you may need to meet both state and city requirements.

Chicago, Illinois

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered? All employers with one or more employees in Chicago or subject to city licensing. 
• Who must be trained? All employees and supervisors in Chicago
• Frequency: Annually
• Duration & content:
  • 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention training for employees
  • 2 hours for supervisors
  • An additional 1 hour of bystander intervention training for all employees
  • Employers may use the Illinois state model or an equivalent training program that meets or exceeds city standards.

Emtrain can assign a Chicago-specific module that layers city requirements and bystander training onto your Illinois path.

New York City, New York

• Mandatory training? Yes.
• Who’s covered? Employers with 15+ employees, including interns and some independent contractors.
• Who must be trained? Employees and interns who work in NYC more than 80 hours in a calendar year and at least 90 days
• Frequency: Annually
• Content: NYC law requires coverage of:
  • Sexual harassment as unlawful discrimination under city, state, and federal law
  • Examples of prohibited conduct
  • Internal and external reporting avenues
  • Bystander intervention
  • Anti-retaliation protections

Emtrain’s NYC training configuration layers city content onto the New York State path so learners see one cohesive experience that checks both boxes.

Washington, DC (Tipped Workers)

• Mandatory training? Yes – for employers of tipped workers (e.g., restaurants, bars).
• Who must be trained? Tipped employees, managers, owners, and operators
• Content: How to prevent and respond to sexual harassment by coworkers, managers, and patrons
• Provider: Training must be delivered by the DC Office of Human Rights or a certified trainer
• Timing:
  • Tipped employees: typically within 90 days of hire
  • Managers/owners/operators: at least every two years

Emtrain’s DC-specific training path can be used alongside, or in addition to, any OHR-approved program to reinforce day-to-day behavior expectations.

Federal expectations: EEOC and best practices

Even in jurisdictions with no formal mandate, the EEOC’s harassment prevention guidance makes training a clear expectation:

The EEOC encourages “regular, interactive, comprehensive training of all employees” so the workforce understands policies, procedures, expectations, and the consequences of misconduct. (EEOC)

From a risk perspective, that means:

• Employers without training programs may struggle to argue they took “reasonable care” to prevent harassment.
• Training should be:
  • Regular (not one-and-done)
  • Tailored to your workforce and jurisdiction
  • Interactive rather than purely passive
  • Documented (who took what, when, and for how long)

Emtrain’s US harassment program is mapped to federal law plus all 50 states and key localities, with configurable timing and content paths for managers vs. employees.

International Harassment Training Requirements (Canada, UK, Australia, India)

Organizations with global teams can’t rely on U.S. rules alone. Provinces, countries, and regulators increasingly expect proactive, prevention-focused training—not just a policy and complaint process.

Emtrain’s harassment curriculum includes Canada-, Australia-, UK-, and India-specific courses so you can deliver the right legal content and cultural context in each jurisdiction without managing separate vendors.

Canada: Federal baseline + provincial training requirements

Canada doesn’t have one single “harassment training act,” but federal law and nearly every province require employers to train workers and supervisors on harassment and violence prevention under occupational health and safety rules. (Emtrain Canada Harassment Requirements)

Federal (Canada Labour Code – federally regulated employers)
For federally regulated workplaces (banking, telecom, interprovincial transport, etc.), the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations require employers to:

• Develop a written prevention policy, in collaboration with worker representatives.
• Assess harassment/violence risks and implement controls.
• Inform and train employees and managers on what constitutes harassment and violence, how to report, and how incidents are addressed.
• Keep records and review the program on a regular cycle.

Key provinces with explicit training obligations

Below are examples of how provincial laws frame harassment training. (Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment — Canada course is aligned to these requirements and can be filtered by province.)

Alberta

Under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code, employers must make sure workers are trained to:

• Recognize violence and harassment in the workplace.
• Understand the policies, procedures, and workplace arrangements used to eliminate or control those hazards.
• Know the appropriate response, including how to obtain assistance.
• Follow the procedures for reporting, investigating, and documenting incidents.

Emtrain’s Alberta path emphasizes recognition skills, reporting channels, and real-world scenarios that reflect these expectations.

British Columbia

WorkSafeBC interprets the Workers Compensation Act and related regulations to require employers to take “reasonable steps” to prevent or minimize bullying and harassment—training is explicitly listed as one of those steps. (CCOHS)

• Employers are expected to train workers and supervisors on:
  • How to recognize bullying and harassment.
  • How to respond if they experience or witness it.
  • Reporting procedures and how the employer will handle complaints.

Emtrain’s BC configuration highlights those recognition and response skills and ties them to local law.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation 91-191 require both a written harassment code of practice and training on that code.

• Employers must:
  • Establish a written code of practice for harassment.
  • Implement a training program on those codes of practice for every employee and every supervisor responsible for employees.

Emtrain’s NB path walks through the policy, code of practice, and reporting steps using practical workplace stories.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Under Newfoundland and Labrador’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, employers must both participate in and deliver harassment-prevention training. (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)

• Employers are required to:
  • Participate in training related to harassment prevention.
  • Provide training to employees on harassment prevention and the workplace harassment prevention plan.

Emtrain’s content reinforces that this is not just a one-time policy acknowledgement; it’s an ongoing prevention obligation.

Ontario

Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires employers to have workplace violence and harassment policies and programs and to train workers on them.

• Employers must:
  • Develop and maintain a workplace violence program and harassment program.
  • Provide workers with information and instruction appropriate to their role on the contents of those policies and programs.

Emtrain’s Ontario-aligned course path covers policy content, examples of harassment and violence (including sexual harassment), reporting options, and anti-reprisal protections.

Quebec

Quebec’s Act respecting occupational health and safety requires employers to take “the necessary measures to protect the health and ensure the safety and physical well-being” of workers, including measures related to violence and harassment.

In practice, that means employers must ensure workers can:

• Recognize violence and harassment risks.
• Follow the employer’s policies, procedures, and workplace arrangements designed to control those hazards.
• Respond appropriately, including seeking assistance.
• Use the reporting and investigation procedures for incidents of violence and harassment.

Emtrain’s Quebec path integrates those expectations with skills for respectful communication and bystander intervention.

Other provinces and territories:
As Emtrain’s Canada harassment requirements explainer notes, provinces like Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and others also tie harassment training directly to occupational health and safety duties, and jurisdictions such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the territories strongly encourage training through guidance and enforcement practices—even where the word “training” isn’t spelled out as a standalone duty. 

Australia: Positive duty under Respect@Work

Australia has moved decisively toward a proactive, “positive duty” model for sexual harassment prevention.

The Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 amended the Sex Discrimination Act to require employers to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and hostile work environments, as far as possible.

What that means in practice:

• Training is no longer optional “nice to have”—it is a core part of demonstrating that you’ve taken proactive, preventative steps.
• Employers are expected to educate workers and leaders about:
  • What harassment and hostile conduct looks like in practice.
  • How to speak up or support colleagues.
  • How the organization will respond and address risk.

Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment — Australia course is designed to:

• Meet Australian legal expectations under the Respect@Work reforms.
• Build awareness of the positive duty and related obligations.
• Develop skills around respectful behavior, boundary-setting, and intervention—not just “here’s the law.”

United Kingdom: Worker Protection Act and proactive steps

The UK already prohibits harassment under the Equality Act 2010. The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 goes further by introducing a proactive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work, with a compliance date of 26 October 2024.

• While the legislation doesn’t prescribe an exact number of training hours, the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission and compliance advisors consistently point to regular training as a key “reasonable step”.
• That includes training employees and managers on:
  • What constitutes unlawful harassment.
  • How to challenge or report inappropriate behavior.
  • How to support colleagues.
  • How to use internal complaints and resolution mechanisms.

Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment — UK course is built around:

• The Equality Act 2010 framework.
• The Worker Protection Act’s preventative emphasis.
• Practical skills for managers and employees to address harassment and support inclusive teams.
• ACAS Resource

India: PoSH statutory training requirements

India’s Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act) creates very explicit training and awareness obligations:

• Employers with 10+ employees must:
  • Constitute an Internal Committee (IC) for handling complaints.
  • Display their PoSH policy and complaint information prominently.
  • Conduct regular awareness programs and sensitization training for all employees and IC members.
• Training must cover:
  • What counts as sexual harassment under Indian law.
  • How to raise a concern and what the IC’s process looks like.
  • Rights of complainants and respondents.
  • Anti-retaliation protections and confidentiality expectations.

Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment — India course is explicitly designed to meet PoSH statutory requirements for sexual harassment training for all employees, while also addressing broader bullying, disrespect, and unhealthy behaviors that harm culture.

Global: Harassment & Respect Training for International Teams

Many countries do not publish formal harassment-training mandates, but global regulators and multinational employers increasingly expect proactive training, clear reporting practices, and consistent behavioral standards across borders. Emtrain’s International Harassment Prevention course provides a unified foundation for non-U.S. teams while adapting language, examples, and cultural nuance for global audiences.

Countries with mandates or strong recommendations
The following countries expect employers to provide harassment, discrimination, or anti-bullying training:

• Brazil — Training required annually for companies with more than 80 employees.

• Germany — Training is highly recommended every 3–5 years under the General Equal Treatment Act.

• Hong Kong — Multiple Codes of Practice recommend regular anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training to mitigate vicarious liability.

• New Zealand — Training is strongly recommended under bullying and harassment guidance and the Health and Safety at Work Act.

• Poland — Training recommended related to mobbing prevention (psychological harassment).

• South Africa — Training recommended under the Employment Equity Act (sections 6 & 60).

• South Korea — Training is mandatory annually for all employees (minimum 1 hour).

• Spain — Employers must provide information and training aligned with anti-harassment obligations.

• Switzerland — Employers are required to inform and communicate harassment-prevention expectations, even if “formal training” is not explicitly mandated.

What the course covers

• How to recognize bullying, psychological harassment, and disrespectful conduct that may not be obviously unlawful but often leads to risk.
• Respectful communication across cultures — using shared norms to reduce misinterpretation and conflict.
• How to use the Workplace Color Spectrum® to navigate employee conflict and identify early warning signs.
• Understanding protected grounds, anti-retaliation principles, and how to support colleagues who raise concerns.
• How to describe your organization’s harassment prevention policy and respond appropriately to complaints.

Why it matters globally
As international teams grow more diverse, “respectful behavior” varies widely across cultures. This course helps global employees build a shared language, recognize problematic conduct early, and understand how to access support or raise issues—regardless of local legal frameworks.

Use case
Ideal for employees and managers based outside the U.S. or those doing business cross-border, This path is ideal for multinational organizations needing a consistent global standard while meeting diverse legal expectations across regions.

Bringing It All Together with Emtrain

Whether you operate in a single U.S. state or across multiple countries, the expectation is the same: employers must take proactive steps to prevent harassment. Some states and cities mandate formal training, many others strongly recommend it, and global regulators in places like the UK, Australia, India, and Canada expect consistent education and prevention programs.

Instead of maintaining dozens of spreadsheets or piecing together regional training, Emtrain brings everything together in one unified system:

• State-, city-, federal-, and international–aligned training paths mapped automatically to each learner’s location and role.
• A single, engaging course experience that delivers the correct legal content for U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, India, and other global regions.
• Audit-ready completion data, time tracking, and documentation for compliance inquiries.
• Culture-building skills woven throughout—bystander intervention, psychological safety, bias awareness, communication norms, and the Workplace Color Spectrum®.

Emtrain helps organizations move beyond “check-the-box compliance” toward a global, consistent, and respectful workplace culture—everywhere your employees work. For information or to schedule a demo contact us.