The changes, which became effective July 1, lay out new requirements for employers pertaining to training, recordkeeping and written policy language. They also boost penalties for violations by 10-times. But there is confusion over what employers are now required to do.
“Notably, the Ordinance states that employers can use the training module created by the Illinois Department of Human Rights as part of the [Illinois Human Rights Act’s] sexual harassment prevention training, but that creates several inconsistencies with the Ordinance that the City will need to clarify,” Karl Analo, Becky Kalas and Kimberly Ross, attorneys with FordHarrison, write for JD Supra.
One example of an inconsistency is where the Chicago training module notes that employers are required to provide sexual harassment prevention training to independent contractors who work on-site. The city’s ordinance does not spell this out.