Connecticut Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

2 hours to complete

Connecticut has the second-lowest employee threshold in the country. Three employees and you are covered, and the training runs two hours for everyone, not one hour for staff and two for supervisors.

The requirement comes from the Time’s Up Act, passed as Public Acts 19-16 and 19-93 and effective October 1, 2019, amending Connecticut General Statutes section 46a-54. Connecticut has had some form of mandate since 1992, when it became the second state in the country to require this training.

Connecticut in practice

Hartford is the state capital, with the workforce concentrated in Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, and Norwalk. Connecticut is a small-employer state with a dense restaurant and hospitality economy along the coast and in the Fairfield County commuter belt, which means the three-employee threshold catches almost every independent operator, wine shop, and single-location restaurant.

One detail out-of-state operators miss: the Act applies to employers based outside Connecticut who have at least one employee working in the state. A New York or Massachusetts company with a single Connecticut salesperson is covered.

What the law requires

• Employers with three or more employees: two hours of training and education for every employee

• Employers with fewer than three: two hours for supervisory employees only

• New employees hired on or after October 1, 2019: within six months of their start date

• Newly promoted supervisors: within six months of promotion

• Periodic supplemental training for all employees, supervisory and non-supervisory, at least every ten years

Content must cover the federal and state statutory provisions concerning sexual harassment and the remedies available to victims.

The transferability rule

This one is genuinely useful and almost nobody publishes it. If a new hire was trained by a previous employer, that training certificate transfers to you only if two things are true: the training was delivered by the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and it happened within two years of the new hire date. Training from any other provider does not transfer, no matter how recent.

For a hospitality operator hiring from other Connecticut restaurants, assume you are training them again unless both conditions are met.

Posting and notice, not just training

Training is one of three obligations for employers with three or more employees. You must also post information on the illegality of sexual harassment and the remedies available to victims in a prominent and accessible location, and provide a copy of that information to each employee no later than three months after their start date. The notice goes by email, with a subject line containing the words "Sexual Harassment Policy" or similar. If employees have no company email account, the information goes on your website.

Enforcement

The CHRO can enter a business during working hours to review records, policies, procedures, and training materials, either where it reasonably believes a violation has occurred or during the twelve months following any complaint filed against the employer. Failure to provide the required notices and training can bring a fine of up to $750.

Connecticut does not impose an express recordkeeping requirement, but the CHRO encourages employers to keep records of training content, provider details, and the names, titles, and dates for every employee trained. Given the inspection power, keeping those records is the sensible choice.

Tracking a ten-year cycle

A ten-year refresher is easier to comply with and far easier to forget than an annual one. The real day-to-day burden is the six-month new-hire window and the six-month promotion window, both of which move constantly in hospitality. A company account lets you assign at onboarding, track promotion triggers, and hold the dated records the CHRO would ask for.

Connecticut sexual harassment training FAQ

Is sexual harassment training required in Connecticut?

Yes. Employers with three or more employees must provide two hours to every employee. Employers with fewer than three must train supervisory employees.

How long does training have to be?

Two hours, for employees and supervisors alike.

How often is refresher training required?

There is no annual requirement. Periodic supplemental training is required for all employees at least every ten years.

Does training from a previous employer count?

Only if it was provided by the CHRO and occurred within two years of the new hire date. Training from other providers does not transfer.

Does the law apply to out-of-state companies?

Yes, if they have at least one employee working in Connecticut.

Harassment training in other states

Requirements differ sharply by state on duration, frequency, and headcount thresholds, so take the version for the state you operate in: Florida, Illinois, Colorado, and more in the full compliance catalog. If your state sets no mandate, the general non-state-specific course covers the federal baseline. Track completion across a roster from the Learn Brands dashboard.

Buying for a team?

Seats are $18.99 each. Register your business free and assign seats across your whole staff. You can see who has started, who has finished, and when certificates expire from the Learn Brands dashboard.

Training staff across multiple locations, or want several courses for the same team? Talk to us about team pricing.