Effective September 24, 2022, Arizona has added to its definition of “employer” under the Arizona Civil Rights Act for sexual harassment claims explicit acts on the part of an employer that would violate the law.
Under the amended law, all employers are covered by the state’s law prohibiting sexual harassment. Specifically, the amendments state, “an employer includes any person with one or more employees in the current or preceding calendar year, and any agent of that person, who is alleged to have:
- Committed any act of sexual harassment; or
- Discriminated against anyone for opposing sexual harassment or assisting or participating in an investigation, proceeding or hearing arising from sexual harassment.”
Next Steps for Employers
Employers should review and update their policies and practices to ensure compliance with the amended law including having an established complaint process and designates that have been trained on conducting and documenting investigations. In addition, all employees, including supervisors/managers should be trained on how to prevent, recognize and respond to sexual and other forms of harassment.
