Washington Harassment prevention and training — Ask HR AI

What changes in Washington

State posture: Two live 2026 changes: the Fair Chance Act amendments (July 1, 2026 for 15+ employees; Jan 1, 2027 below that) and SB 5793's narrowed safety-sensitive carve-out. Pre-employment non-psychoactive metabolite testing remains prohibited.. The amended Washington Fair Chance Act took effect July 1, 2026 for employers with 15 or more employees, and takes effect January 1, 2027 for employers with fewer than 15. Criminal-history inquiries are deferred until after a conditional offer, a documented individualized assessment is required before any adverse action based on conviction history, and the employer must supply the Washington Attorney General's Fair Chance Act Guide for Employers and Applicants in the circumstances the statute specifies. Arrests, juvenile adjudications, and non-conviction adult records are off-limits. AG enforcement penalties escalate to $500, $750, and $1,000 for first, second, and subsequent violations.

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Practitioner steps for Washington

Step 1. Confirm whether Washington mandates supervisor and employee harassment training (states like CA, NY, CT, IL, DE, ME, WA have specific thresholds).
Step 2. Post the required WA anti-discrimination notice and internal complaint procedure in every workplace.
Step 3. Investigate every complaint promptly using a documented process — the Investigator Mode in Ask HR AI produces a defensible memo.
Step 4. Retain training records for at least the statute of limitations period in Washington.

Applicable Washington statutes and references

RCW §49.94 (as amended by E2SHB 1747, 2025)
RCW §49.58.100
SB 5123 (2024)
SB 5793 (2026)
15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq. (federal FCRA)

Frequently asked (federal + Washington overlay)

Which states require harassment prevention training?

California, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and Washington all mandate sexual harassment training on defined schedules — most on a 1- or 2-year cycle for supervisors and often for all employees.

How often must California employers train?

Every two years, with new hires trained within six months. Supervisors need 2 hours; non-supervisors need 1 hour.

What is the Faragher/Ellerth defense?

An affirmative defense available to employers who exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct harassment and where the employee unreasonably failed to use the complaint process.

Same topic in another state

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Ask HR AI is not legal advice. Confirm any final answers or suggested actions with your employment legal counsel before acting on them.

Harassment prevention and training in Washington.