Pennsylvania does not require private employers to provide sexual harassment training, but the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act prohibits workplace discrimination and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission investigates complaints under it. The state does require its own agency employees to be trained, using written materials, videos, orientation sessions, and workplace discussion. For private employers, training remains the clearest way to show the reasonable care that anchors a defense.
Pennsylvania at a glance
Required for private employers: no
Governing law: Pennsylvania Human Relations Act
Enforcement agency: Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Public sector: all Pennsylvania state agency employees must receive sexual harassment prevention training
Recommended practice: train at hire, refresh annually, keep completion records
What the course covers
Where the legal line sits between unwelcome behavior and unlawful harassment, covering both quid pro quo conduct and hostile work environment claims
The employee reporting path, and what a manager is expected to do in the first hours after receiving a complaint
Building an anti-harassment policy that works in practice, including who receives complaints and how findings get recorded
Wider discrimination exposure in recruiting, promotion, and termination decisions, plus reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Bullying, retaliation, and the conduct expectations that make an open-door policy credible
How the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act applies across hiring, promotion, pay, dismissal, and the conditions of employment
How the course works
The course runs online and self-paced on any device. Managers assign it by role or location, follow completion in real time, and download certificates whenever proof of training is required.
Common questions
Is sexual harassment training required in Pennsylvania?
Not for private employers. Pennsylvania state agency employees are required to train, and private employers are encouraged to hold themselves to a similar standard.
Who handles harassment complaints in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Employees may also file with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Does this course meet requirements in other states?
This version is written around Pennsylvania law. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and New York have their own training mandates, and Washington has an industry-specific one. We offer state-specific courses for those.
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: Rhode Island, Tennessee, Oklahoma, 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.