Understanding California’s Sexual Harassment & Abusive Conduct Prevention Training

California Sexual Harassment & Abusive Conduct Prevention Training Deadline: January 1, 2021

As a reminder, the California law requires employers with five or more employees to provide sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to all employees by January 1, 2021.

• Nonsupervisory Employees: one (1) hour training within six months of hire, and every two years thereafter.
• Supervisors and Managers (including out of state supervisors of California employees): two (2) hours of training within six months of hire or promotion into a supervisory position and every two years thereafter. 
• Seasonal and Temporary Employees: within 30 calendar days of the hire date or within 100 hours worked, whichever occurs first. Employees working less than 30 calendar days and working less than 100 hours do not have to be trained.
• Note: Employers are not required to train Independent Contractors, Unpaid Interns, or Volunteers.

Our COS Team is happy to help get your employees trained in time for the January 1, 2021 deadline. Please send us an email at COSTeam@cultureworkshr.com and let’s connect!

California Pay Data Reporting Act

Senate Bill 973, known as the Pay Data Reporting Act passed in California on September 30, 2020. The law aims to reduce gender and racial pay gaps. The new law requires California employers with 100 or more employees, that are also required to file the federal EEO-1 report with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), to report demographic and pay data by March 31, 2021. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) released some initial, helpful guidance on the contents that need to be reported & will be issuing additional guidance on SB 973 in the near future.

1. The number of employees  by race, ethnicity, and gender in 10 different job title categories (Component 1); and
2. The number of employees by race, ethnicity, and gender, whose annual earnings fall within each of the pay bands used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Occupational Employment Statistics survey (Component 2).

Increased California Pay Requirements on January 1, 2021

Effective January 1, 2021 minimum wage in California will be increasing to $13.00 per hour for employers with 25 employees or less, and $14.00 per hour for employers with 26 employees or more. Two California cities will have their own minimum wage changes in 2021.  South San Francisco will increase to $15.24 per hour, and Burlingame will increase to $15.00 per hour.  Best Practice: We recommend employer’s review their pay practices to be in line with the minimum wage increases. Additionally, the minimum salary threshold for “Salary Exempt” status classifications will increase in proportion to the minimum wage increase.  Our future Culture Blast edition will have more insight on “Salary Exempt Evaluations.”  If you have questions concerning minimum wage in other California localities or outside of California, send us an email at COSTeam@cultureworkshr.com.