October 17, 2024
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Sycamore Chamber to host workplace sexual harassment training

Training registration due by Monday, training session set for Jan. 10

By Camden Lazenby
Sycamore Chamber of Commerce Executive Director RoseMarie Treml asks a question of the panel of law enforcement and judiciary members Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, during the Community Protection and Well-Being Forum: A Conversation about the Safe-T Act, in the DeKalb County Community Foundation Freight Room in Sycamore. The event was hosted by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce.

Sycamore Chamber of Commerce Executive Director RoseMarie Treml talks during a Sycamore Chamber of Commerce event in this Sept. 13, 2023, Shaw Media file photo. (Mark Busch)

SYCAMORE – Sycamore Chamber of Commerce is using its Coffee and Conversations event series to host a workplace sexual harassment prevention training session for chamber businesses Wednesday.

The training session – free for members of the Sycamore chamber – is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Jan. 10, in DeKalb County Community Foundation’s Freight room, 475 DeKalb Avenue in Sycamore.

Ashlee Weaver, member services administrator for Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, said chamber staff decided to host an in-person workplace sexual harassment prevention training session because they’ve heard from businesses who’d prefer that to online formats.

“We have heard from businesses who would be interested, since this would be a free in-person training. I believe other organizations – I’m not sure exactly who – they have online opportunities, but we still have a lot of people who are interested in that in-person networking sort of environment,” Weaver said.

It’s been more than a year since the chamber hosted its last training session on this topic. The Illinois Human Rights Act requires businesses to annually train their employees on workplace sexual harassment prevention, however.

Businesses with Sycamore Chamber membership can sign up for the free event by emailing office@sycamorechamber.com through Monday.

According to a chamber news release, Valerie St. James, human resources and payroll specialist with the city of Sycamore, will facilitate the training.

Weaver said the Coffee and Conversations event series is usually held on a quarterly basis, but the next event may take place before the end of winter.

“We have some up coming ones that we’re planning,” Weaver said. “I know there’s a lot of new laws that have been enacted in Illinois starting Jan. 1, 2024 that are going to be affecting businesses. So we’re hoping to do another Coffee and Conversations within the next month or two here, just kind of debriefing some of these laws and just kind of giving more awareness.”

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