Maryland HB-1423 and HB-679, codified at Md. Code, State Pers. & Pens. § 2-203.1
What are Maryland’s mandatory sexual harassment prevention training requirements?
Maryland’s anti-harassment training laws require that all public employees (including employees of state colleges and universities) receive two hours of sexual harassment prevention training online or in-person within 6 months of their start date. The law also requires that sexual harassment prevention training is revisited every two years after the initial training.
What should sexual harassment prevention training in Maryland cover?
The sexual harassment prevention training must be designed to educate state employees by providing information on federal and state laws prohibiting sexual harassment, best practices for the prevention of harassment, abusive conduct, and retaliation, and remedies and procedures available to people who have experienced sexual harassment in their employment. Public employers must also provide supervisors with specified additional training.
Who does Maryland’s mandatory sexual harassment prevention training law apply to?
The state of Maryland’s mandatory sexual harassment prevention training law is applicable to all state employees and state-funded universities and colleges. In addition to employees, managers and supervisors are additionally required to be trained on properly responding to complaints of sexual harassment and preventing further abuse and retaliation, and maintaining a culture where sexual harassment is not tolerated.
What do Maryland HB-1423 and HB-679 mean for you?
Considering the nature of the sexual harassment prevention training mandate, if you work in the government in Maryland you will likely need to take a number of measures to satisfy Maryland’s mandatory sexual harassment prevention training requirements. As a first step, you will need to ensure that you have delivered sexual harassment prevention training to your existing workforce and make a plan for all new hires in their onboarding plan.
Want to learn more about the mandates across North America?
The EVERFI team of dedicated in-house attorneys want you to have a clear understanding of which states and provinces require harassment training. Explore our interactive guide to sexual harassment prevention training requirements.