Maine sexual harassment education and training
Maine has had a sexual harassment training requirement on the books since 1991, one of the oldest in the nation. Employers with fifteen or more employees must conduct training within one year of hire, and supervisors receive additional training. Maine also requires distribution of a written annual notice to every employee.
Coverage scope
All new employees within one year of hire. Supervisors and managers receive additional, more detailed training.
Duration & frequency
- Duration
- No fixed duration; the program must cover all statutorily required content elements.
- Frequency
- Once for each new hire. There is no fixed re-training cadence in the statute, but employers must distribute an annual written notice to every employee describing the illegality of sexual harassment.
- New hires
- Within one (1) year of the start of employment.
Every compliant program must include
Miss any one of these elements and your training fails the Maine standard, even if every other detail is perfect.
The illegality of sexual harassment
Definition of sexual harassment under state and federal law
Description of sexual harassment with examples
Internal complaint process available to the employee
Legal recourse and complaint process available through the Maine Human Rights Commission
Directions on how to contact the Commission
The protection against retaliation
For supervisors: specific responsibilities and obligations to take steps to ensure a workplace free from sexual harassment
Recordkeeping
Maintain training records for at least three (3) years. Employers must also keep on file records of the annual employee notice distribution.
Penalties & enforcement
The Maine Department of Labor may issue civil fines for violations. Failure to train also undermines employer defenses in a Maine Human Rights Act claim.
Maine Department of Labor and Maine Human Rights Commission.
We map your roster to every mandate that applies.
Maine is one of 11 jurisdictions in our compliance matrix. If your employees work across state lines, the mandates stack: different durations, frequencies, and content per location. We handle that.
This page summarizes publicly available statutes and regulatory guidance, last reviewed July 2026. State and local mandates change frequently; verify current requirements with the enforcing agency or employment counsel before relying on this content for compliance decisions. empathiHR clients receive a written compliance matrix updated against their roster and locations.
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Maine is one piece of the picture. We inventory every state and city your employees work in, deliver compliant training per location, and produce the documentation your counsel will need.