Illinois and the City of Chicago continue to take a firm stance on workplace harassment prevention. For business owners, this means that annual sexual-harassment training is mandatory, and Chicago employers face additional, more extensive requirements each year.
Many companies remain unaware of how these obligations overlap, and the consequences for noncompliance can be expensive. Here is a straightforward reminder of what you must provide and where to find free, compliant training materials.
Illinois Requirements for all Employers
Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, every employer with at least one Illinois employee must provide annual sexual-harassment prevention training.
- Key points:
Applies to all employers, regardless of size. - Includes full-time, part-time, temporary, and intern workers.
- Training must meet IDHR’s minimum standards.
- Employers may use the free model training offered by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR).
- IDHR offers FREE downloadable training modules, PowerPoints, PDFs, and online videos in English and Spanish: https://dhr.illinois.gov/training.html
- Restaurants and bars also have access to industry-specific modules to satisfy the additional sector requirements in the statute.
Requirements for Chicago Employers
If any of your employees work within the City of Chicago, even occasionally, the City’s Human Rights Ordinance imposes separate and stricter obligations. Each year, Chicago employers must provide 1 hour of sexual-harassment prevention training, plus 1 hour of
bystander intervention training for all employees.
Supervisors and Managers must also take an additional 1 hour of sexual-harassment prevention training. In total, Chicago supervisors must receive 3 hours of training annually, and all other employees must receive 2 hours. Chicago allows employers to use the IDHR statewide model to satisfy the first hour of required harassment training. The additional one-hour manager module and the bystander intervention training must meet the City’s standards.
Free Chicago Resources:
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) provides free templates for Bystander intervention training, Extra one-hour supervisory training, and Model policies and required notices. See:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cchr/supp_info/sexual-harassment.html
Recordkeeping and Penalties
Chicago’s ordinance has real teeth. Employers must keep training records, including dates, sign-ins, certificates, and copies of the training materials, or at least five years.
Failure to maintain records creates a presumption of noncompliance.
Violations of Chicago’s harassment provisions now carry substantially increased fines: $5,000 to $10,000 per offense, plus daily penalties for policy, posting, training, and recordkeeping failures.
Statewide, employers may face IDHR investigations and enforcement actions for failing to train employees annually.
Summary of what employers must do:
- Identify covered employees (all Illinois workers; those in Chicago need additional
hours). - Confirm who is a supervisor or manager for purposes of the extra one-hour
training. - Use IDHR’s free training to satisfy the statewide requirement and the first hour of
Chicago’s requirement. - Use Chicago’s free templates for the manager module and bystander training.
- Document everything—attendance, training materials, and completion dates.
- Review your written policy and required Chicago notices to ensure they include
the mandated components.
Sexual-harassment prevention training is no longer simply best practice, it is a mandatory compliance obligation with meaningful enforcement risk. For businesses operating in and around Chicago, a compliant training program requires a coordinated plan that satisfies both Illinois and Chicago’s layered requirements. With free resources available from both the State and the City, compliance is straightforward, so long as you implement annual training, track completion, and maintain proper records.
If you need help designing a training program, updating your policies, or auditing your compliance, the Chicago Business Law Firm of Bellas & Wachowski has the experience and resources to assist your business in aligning your practices with the current state and city requirements. Contact Attorney Connie Christopoulos for more information.