Sexual Harassment Training

California law mandates sexual harassment training for managers every two years. While I was in China, I got an email from our legal department that I'm due for another session. Last time, I attended a class on-site and it was a complete waste of time. This time, it's computer based and I'm expecting it to be another complete waste of time.

The program is 247 slides long and there is a timer on each page preventing you from click ahead before the alloted time (52 seconds for the excerpt below). Sigh... it doesn't take me that long to read a paragraph; I guess they're serious about it taking two hours. :(

What is workplace harassment? In simple terms, it's inappropriate conduct based on a legally protected characteristic that's serious enough that it violates the law.

Under federal law, the legally protected characteristics are sex or gender (including pregnancy); race, color, national origin or ancestry; religion; age (over 40); and mental or physical disability. In California, the protected characteristics also include sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and medical condition.

Later we'll take a closer look at how the law defines workplace harassment. While it's important that you understand harassment laws, you should also understand that your job is not to figure out whether inappropriate conduct actually violates the law, but rather to deal with it before it can.

So in California, if a guy thinks he's a woman, I can't make fun of him at work?!