Illinois requires annual sexual harassment prevention training for every employee, at every employer, regardless of company size. The requirement comes from the Workplace Transparency Act, passed as SB 75 and effective January 1, 2020, and it is enforced by the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
The restaurant and bar requirement
This is the part that matters most if you sell or serve alcohol, and most training providers do not mention it. SB 75 imposes a supplemental training obligation specific to restaurants and bars, on top of the general annual requirement that applies to every Illinois employer.
Restaurants and bars must deliver industry-specific training addressing the situations customer-facing hospitality workers actually encounter, and must have a written sexual harassment policy provided to every employee within their first calendar week. If you operate a bar, a restaurant, a tasting room, or a venue serving alcohol in Illinois, the general course alone does not meet your obligation.
Illinois in practice
Springfield is the state capital, but employment concentrates in Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, and Rockford. Chicago has one of the strongest restaurant and bar economies in the country and a large craft brewing and distilling sector, which is exactly the population SB 75 supplemental training was written for.
Chicago adds its own layer
The city ordinance goes further than state law. Chicago requires one hour of sexual harassment prevention training annually for employees and two hours annually for supervisors and managers, plus one hour of bystander intervention training. Employers must also maintain a written policy and post required notices.
So a Chicago restaurant is meeting three overlapping obligations: the state annual requirement, the SB 75 restaurant and bar supplement, and the city hour counts.
What the state requires
Annual training for all employees, at employers of any size
Covers all employees performing work in Illinois, including part-time, temporary, and short-term staff
Content must include an explanation of sexual harassment under the Illinois Human Rights Act, examples of prohibited conduct, internal and external complaint processes, and the prohibition on retaliation
The Illinois Department of Human Rights publishes a free model training program that satisfies the baseline requirement
A remote employee working in Illinois is subject to Illinois law regardless of where your head office sits. If your HR system tracks people by office assignment rather than actual work location, that is a common way to end up applying the wrong state rules.
Running it across locations
The Illinois picture is layered: an annual cycle for everyone, a supplement for anyone in a restaurant or bar, and different hour counts inside Chicago. A company account lets you assign by location and role so the Chicago sites get the city hours and the hospitality sites get the supplement, then track completion in one place.
Illinois sexual harassment training FAQ
Is sexual harassment training required in Illinois?
Yes. The Workplace Transparency Act, SB 75, requires annual training for all employees at employers of any size.
Do restaurants and bars need extra training?
Yes. SB 75 requires supplemental industry-specific training for restaurants and bars in addition to the general annual requirement, plus a written policy issued to each employee in their first calendar week.
What does Chicago require?
One hour annually for employees, two hours annually for supervisors and managers, and one hour of bystander intervention training, on top of the state requirement.
How often is Illinois training required?
Annually, for every employee performing work in Illinois including part-time and temporary staff.
Does the state offer free training?
The Illinois Department of Human Rights publishes a free model program that meets the baseline state requirement. It does not cover the restaurant and bar supplement or the Chicago hour counts.
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: Iowa, Maine, Florida, 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.