Hundreds of Sacramento State’s decision-making staff will be trained and educated on how to muddle through sexual harassment incidences.

A state law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger requires all state employers larger than 50 members to undergo sexual harassment training.

As a result, all deans, vice presidents, directors and faculty who are responsible for other staff will have to be trained in compliance with the law, said Frank Whitlatch, interim associate vice president of public affairs.

Up to 530 Sac State employees, who meet the definition of supervisor, will have to go under this training starting mid-month, said David Wagner, vice president of human resources.

“The 21??2-hour online training will comply with the program,” Wagner said.

According to a memo sent from CSU Vice Chancellor Jackie R. McClain, staff with overseeing responsibility will go through extensive online training through human resource company WorkPlace Answers.

The memo states because the new law does not explicitly define who is supervisory staff, due to the wide-scope impact of the law, CSU will allow each university to decide who is supervisory staff, along with a CSU definition of supervisory staff.

This may also include student staff, although a small number of students, possibly none, Wagner said.

The memo details that “the training will need to be provided to presidents, administrators, department chairs, employees who supervise student employees, employees with (any) lead worker responsibilities.”

The state law requires that all supervisory staff complete two hours of sexual harassment training before January. So for the next three months, human resources is preparing to train appropriate staff, which will have to be paid for by Sac State, Whitlatch said.

Keith Miller, vice president of sales and marketing for WorkPlace Answers, said the new law is very specific in what it wants to accomplish.

New supervisory hires would have to be trained within six months and supervisors will have to take the course every two years, Miller said.

The company has a multiyear contract with CSU to provide the training.

“If you look at the law, you’ll find a million things,” Miller said. “No one has ever done training like this.”

Miller said WorkPlace Answers was selected by both the CSU and UC systems to provide training that includes “playful scenarios that can get a point across with engaging, challenging and fun online sexual harassment training.”

Supplemental courses that deal with other harassment issues are also available through the company, but Sac State will not initially go through “protected category” training, Miller said.

The online company has 600 clients and has done similar workplace training for six years, Miller said.

The training will help protect the university from a lawsuit and employees become stress-free knowing their employer has provided sexual harassment training, Miller said.-

Criminal Justice Chair William Vizzard said like any state public agency it’s a fairly common practice. “In general, the perception of this type of training is perceived broadly in the public sector to somehow immunize organizations from liability,” Vizzard said.

Whitlatch said any employer would be smart in following sexual harassment training programs.

Vizzard said his department includes three supervisory staff members, including him, who will need to undergo sexual harassment training.-

Gamaliel Ortiz can be reached at [email protected]