OSHA’s proposed workplace violence rule: How healthcare HR can prepare now
Workplace safety
On August 9, 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Workplace Transparency Act into law, effective January 1, 2020, in the latest state effort to help prevent sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. The new bill addresses many aspects of workplace discrimination and harassment, including training provisions for all employees.
All employees must receive sexual harassment training
Illinois’ new law will require all employers to update their training practices, key policies, personnel forms, severance agreements and arbitration agreements. In particular, the law’s sexual harassment training provisions apply to all Illinois employers and require that:
Law imposes greater restrictions on employers
Ensuring compliance with the new Illinois law will require a thorough review and possible revision of employment contracts, arbitration, severance and settlement agreements, employee handbooks and more. Key provisions of the new law:
Traliant Insight
Illinois is the latest state to enact new laws aimed at combating sexual harassment in the workplace. Among the provisions of the Workplace Transparency Act, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, is a requirement that all employers train their employees on sexual harassment prevention on an annual basis. Organizations must adopt a training program that meets or exceeds the model that the IDHR will publish in the near future, and restaurants and bars must tailor training to their unique work environment. As Illinois joins California, New York, Connecticut, Maine and Delaware in enacting stronger anti-harassment legislation, employers everywhere should take note of the heightened attention lawmakers are giving to addressing and preventing workplace harassment.