Sexual Harassment Training Requirements in Rhode Island
Protected Categories
Fair Employment Practices Act protects pregnancy, ancestral origin, disability (physical/mental impairment), genetic testing, race, color, sex (pregnancy), age (40+), sexual orientation or expression (actual, perceived, or gender identity), religion, HIV testing, and tobacco use during non-work time.
State Sexual Harassment Definition
Same as Federal
Who May Be Liable
Employer and supervisor
State Training & Education Requirements
Rhode Island encourages, but does not specifically require, non-harassment training.
Employers are encouraged to conduct training for all employees under the state’s Sexual Harassment, Education, and Training Law. Training is to be conducted within the first year of employment, and supervisors are to receive training in addition to that provided to regular employees. See R.I. Gen. Laws ch. §§ 28-51-2(c), 28-51-3. The training should address the following topics:
- A statement that sexual harassment in the workplace is unlawful;
- A statement that it is unlawful to retaliate against an employee for filing a complaint of sexual harassment or for cooperating in an investigation of a complaint for sexual harassment;
- A description and examples of sexual harassment;
- A statement of the range of consequences for employees who are found to have committed sexual harassment;
- A description of the process for filing internal complaints about sexual harassment and the work addresses and telephone numbers of the person or persons to whom complaints should be made; and
- The identity of the appropriate state and federal employment discrimination enforcement agencies and directions as to how to contact these agencies.
For supervisory and managerial employees, the training should also address the specific responsibilities and the methods these employees should use in addressing sexual harassment complaints.
See R.I.Gen. Laws ch. §§ 28-51-2(b); 28-51-2(c).
Enforcement
Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights
Citation
R.I.Gen. Laws, §§ 23-6-22; 23-20.10-14(a); 28-5-1; 28-5-3; 28-5-5; 28-5-6; 28-5-7; 28-6.71
Sexual Harrasment
Training Requirements
