Seven states. Three cities. One compliance matrix.
California, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and Washington each impose mandatory harassment training. New York City, Chicago, and Washington D.C. layer on additional municipal requirements. If your employees work across these jurisdictions, the mandates stack: different durations, frequencies, and content per location.
The seven states with mandatory training
Florida is not on this list. Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio, and most others are not either. The seven below have a statutory requirement that applies to private employers, and the requirements differ enough that one-size-fits-all training fails compliance audits in at least half of them.
California
5+ employees. 2 hrs supervisors / 1 hr employees. Every 2 years. SB 1343.
FEHA / Government Code §12950.1 (SB 1343, expanded by SB 778)
New York
All employers, every employee. Annual interactive training. Labor Law §201-g.
New York Labor Law §201-g and Executive Law §296
Illinois
All employers, every employee. Annual. Restaurant/bar supplement required. IHRA §2-109.
Illinois Human Rights Act §2-109 (SB 75 / Workplace Transparency Act, 2019)
Connecticut
3+ employees: all staff. Smaller: supervisors only. 2 hrs. Time's Up Act.
Connecticut General Statutes §46a-54(15)(C) (Time's Up Act, Public Act 19-16, as amended by P.A. 19-93)
Delaware
50+ employees. Interactive training. Every 2 years. 19 Del. C. §711A.
Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act, 19 Del. C. §711A
Maine
15+ employees. Within 1 yr of hire. Annual notice. Title 26 §807.
Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 §807
Washington
Industry-specific (hospitality, retail, security, healthcare). RCW 49.60.515.
Washington RCW 49.60.515 (HB 1155 healthcare, SB 5258 hospitality/janitorial/retail/security)
City and district overlays
Three local jurisdictions impose training requirements on top of (or independent of) their state's framework. If your employees work in NYC, Chicago, or D.C., the local mandate is what gets enforced.
New York City
15+ employees working in NYC. Annual interactive + bystander. Local Law 96.
View requirementsChicago
1+ employee in Chicago. 1 hr / 2 hr supervisors + 1 hr bystander. Annual. §6-10-040.
View requirementsWashington D.C.
Tipped-wage employers (restaurants, bars). Owners/managers + employees. D.C. Law 22-196.
View requirementsThe mandate matrix
| Jurisdiction | Threshold | Frequency | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5+ employees | Once every two (2) years | FEHA / Government Code §12950.1 |
| New York | All employers, every employee | Annually, every twelve (12) months | New York Labor Law §201-g and Executive Law §296 |
| Illinois | All employers, every employee | Annually, every calendar year | Illinois Human Rights Act §2-109 |
| Connecticut | 3+ employees: all staff | Initial training once per employee, plus mandatory supplemental training updating all staff at least every ten (10) years | Connecticut General Statutes §46a-54 |
| Delaware | 50+ employees | Every two (2) years for both employees and supervisors | Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act, 19 Del. C. §711A |
| Maine | 15+ employees | Once for each new hire | Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 §807 |
| Washington | Industry-specific (hospitality, retail, security, healthcare) | Initial training upon hire; ongoing/refresher training is recommended and required in some sub-industries | Washington RCW 49.60.515 |
| New York City | 15+ employees working in NYC | Annually, every twelve (12) months | Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act / NYC Local Law 96 of 2018 |
| Chicago | 1+ employee in Chicago | Annually, on a training year running July 1 to June 30 | Chicago Municipal Code §6-10-040 |
| Washington D.C. | Tipped-wage employers (restaurants, bars) | Operators, managers, and owners: every two (2) years | Tipped Wage Workers Fairness Amendment Act of 2018 |
| Texas No mandate | No mandate, but SB 45 makes training de facto required for 1+ employer | No statutory cadence | Texas Labor Code Chapter 21 |
Texas: no mandate, but training is the de facto standard
Texas SB 45 (effective 2021) lowered the employer threshold to 1+ employee, created potential personal exposure for supervisors and HR, and extended the statute of limitations. There is no statutory training cadence, but the absence of a documented program is now evidence against the employer in nearly every harassment claim.
Texas (SB 45)
No mandate, but SB 45 makes training de facto required for 1+ employer.
Read the SB 45 pageThis 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.
One assessment. Every jurisdiction your people work in.
Tell us where your employees are. We'll inventory which mandates apply, build a compliance matrix you can share with counsel, and deliver state-compliant training per location.