The City of Chicago passed the Human Rights Ordinance, section 6-010-040, approved by the council with amendments in June of 2022 as part of their sexual harassment prevention legislation that requires all employees to complete an hour of bystander intervention training, This ordinance is administrated by the city’s Commission on Human Rights
Specifically, all employees must receive one hour of bystander intervention training annually. Bystander intervention training teaches techniques to intervene when microaggressions and/or harassment occurs that employees can utilize to intervene during or following such incidents to support employees being harmed and/or targeted.
The ordinance falls under the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance, amending the Municipal Code of Chicago. It now requires employers to provide training to employees and supervisors on sexual harassment prevention and bystander reporting techniques as per section 6-010-040 (b)(1)(C)].
It uses the law established by the State of Illinois in 2020 as the basis and makes certain significant changes to training requirements that impact all employees in Chicago workplaces.
Training Benefits
The Chicago City Council finds that tolerance of sexual harassment has a harmful effect in workplaces by creating a hostile environment for employees, reducing productivity, and increasing legal liability. Bystander intervention empowers employees to create a culture of inclusion and psychological safety.
Along with creating safe spaces, training that supports a harassment-free workplace has the following benefits:
- Elevated sense of belonging
- Improved teamwork and performance
- Increased engagement
- Higher retention
The online course focuses on the role of the bystander in identifying and preventing harassment, It is compliant with the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance We will take a detailed look at the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and its requirements to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace from a bystander’s point of view.
What is included in the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance?
The Chicago Human Rights Ordinance protects people in the countySexual harassment is prohibited by the City of Chicago. The Chicago Human Rights Ordinance recognizes that anyone can be a target of sexual harassment.
Ask about Chicago Bystander Training
Definition of Sexual Harassment from Chicago Human Rights Ordinance
Under the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance, sexual harassment means any unwelcome sexual advances or unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature; or requests for sexual favors, or any conduct of a sexual nature when:
- Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment.
- Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for any employment decision affecting the individual.
- Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
- Sexual misconduct, which means any behavior of a sexual nature which also involves coercion, abuse of authority, or misuse of an individual’s employment position.
With regard to the workplace, Section 6-010-040 of the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance prohibits any employer, employee, agent of an employer, employment agency, or labor organization from engaging in sexual harassment. Engaging in sexual harassment makes the issue a civil rights violation.
Sexual Harassment Definition
According to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome sexual advances or unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature; or sexual misconduct, which means “any behavior of a sexual nature which also involves coercion, abuse of authority, or misuse of an individual’s employment position”; or requests for sexual favors or conduct of a sexual nature when:
This definition expands on the one published by the EEOC. As described in guidance published by the Chicago Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), the city’s sexual harassment laws now explicitly include sexual misconduct within the definition of sexual harassment. The Amendments incorporate this expanded definition into all portions of the Municipal Code related to the city’s policy on sexual harassment. The modified definition applies to private employers covered under the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance, as well as city contractors and subcontractors.
Requirements
Every employer in the City of Chicago is required to provide employees with one hour of sexual harassment prevention training annually and one hour of bystander intervention training annually in compliance with section 6-010-040 (b)(1)(C) of the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance. Supervisors are required to take two hours of harassment prevention training annually.
The first deadline in the last day of June 2023 (June 30th). By this date all employees who perform work in Chicago are required to have this training.
Online Bystander Training
A one-hour compliant online bystander training is available by using the contact form on this page.
Learning Objectives
- Explain why it is important to maintain a mutually respectful and harassment-free workplace
- Define sexual harassment according to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance
- Identify how sexual harassment manifests within the workplace
- Understand institutional structures and cultural conditions that facilitate sexual harassment
- Define Bystander and the Bystander Effect
- Identify safe and effective intervention techniques
- Recognize how to overcome barriers to intervention
Onsite Bystander Training
Upon request, onsite bystander training will be facilitated by Diversity Builder trainers. It meets the requirements of the ordinance and will be customized to reflect the core values of the group and the work the team performs.
Discrimination Under Chicago Law
According to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance, “No person shall directly or indirectly discriminate against any individual in hiring, classification, grading, discharge, discipline, compensation or other term or condition of employment because of the individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military status, credit history (within the meaning of Section 6-10-053), criminal history (within the meaning of Section 6-10-054), or source of income. No employment agency shall directly or indirectly discriminate against any individual in classification, processing, referral, or recommendation for employment because of the individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military status, credit history (within the meaning of Section 6-10-053), criminal history (within the meaning of Section 6-10-054), or source of income.”