What are the requirements for format and delivery of California Harassment Compliance Training?
Training formats
Although classroom training is most effective, the regulations allow for e-learning, both by webinars and self-study methods. This training must meet all the subject requirements listed above. And in addition:
All training formats must provide a way for students to ask questions and receive an answer.
Self-study and e-learning programs must provide a link or directions on how to contact a trainer to answer questions. The trainer must answer the question within two business days. The trainer must be qualified as stated below, but in addition, the trainer must be able to provide guidance and assistance on harassment issues under the employer’s policy. Therefore, your own HR or Legal Department should be answering these questions, although the trainer may draft an initial response and may have templates for frequently asked questions. Webinars must either provide an opportunity to ask questions and have them answered during the program, or a link as above.
Training must be interactive.
All programs must include questions that assess learning, skill-building activities that assess the supervisor's application and understanding of content learned, and numerous hypothetical scenarios, each with one or more discussion questions so that supervisors remain engaged in the training. Straight lecture or stand-alone video is not enough. Nor is a web-based or e-learning program considered interactive if it merely requires the supervisor to click "next" to get a new page view. Participants also must be able to ask questions during the training, as outlined above.
All training formats must take no less than two hours to complete.
Self-study programs must actually take each participant at least two hours to complete, although the two hours can be broken into segments if desired. The two hours can and should include training on all forms of harassment, discrimination and retaliation, not just sexual harassment.
All training must document participation continuously to verify total learning time.
Webinars must document that each supervisor attended the entire training and actively participated. The regulations require employers to "document and demonstrate that each supervisor who was not physically present in the same room as the trainer nonetheless attended the entire training and actively participated with the training's interactive content, discussion questions, hypothetical scenarios, quizzes or tests, and activities." That is why the webinar or e-learning must be structured to have continuous interaction.
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