The US has the least federal uniformity and the most state variation of the three jurisdictions. Harassment-prevention training in particular is set state by state, with different hours, different frequencies and different employer-size thresholds — which is why a multi-state employer cannot run one training calendar without mapping it first.
Each requirement below gates certification for the functions it covers. Nobody completes a role path in US without clearing the items that apply to them first.
The General Duty Clause requires a workplace free from recognised hazards, and specific standards carry their own training obligations. Around half of states run their own OSHA-approved plans, several of which are stricter than the federal baseline.
Seven states mandate training for private employers, and the terms differ materially. California requires one hour for staff and two for supervisors every two years at employers with five or more people. New York and Illinois require it annually. Connecticut requires two hours. Delaware applies at 50+ employees, Maine at 15+.
Washington mandates training and panic buttons for isolated workers in named sectors including hotels and motels, with coverage expanding from January 2026. This is a hospitality-specific obligation with no federal equivalent.
Amateur sports organizations competing across state lines must report suspected child abuse to law enforcement within 24 hours, and are subject to training and interaction-rule requirements. Title IX carries its own obligations for funded institutions.
Who must report suspected child abuse, how quickly, and to whom is defined state by state. The duty attaches to individuals personally as well as to the organization employing them, so training is about personal legal exposure, not only institutional policy.
The FCRA governs every check you run: written disclosure, a signed authorization, and a formal adverse-action process before declining anyone. The National Child Protection and Volunteers for Children Acts give youth-serving organizations access to FBI fingerprint-based checks. Thirteen states additionally mandate checks for youth-sports volunteers, each with its own scope and renewal cycle.
Run a national criminal database search and a sex offender registry check on anyone with repeated access to minors, and refresh it every two years. Where no state statute sets the bar, this is the bar — and it is what carriers ask about at renewal.
The Food Code is a model adopted in varying forms by states and localities. Many jurisdictions require a certified food protection manager on site and food handler cards for staff.
Title III requires public accommodations, including hotels and restaurants, to provide equal access. Staff conduct is part of how that obligation is met or missed in practice.
This summary is built from publicly available regulatory sources and is not legal advice. It is not a determination that a given requirement does or does not apply to your organization, and requirements change. Confirm applicability with local legal counsel.
The requirement set is decided by two things: the cluster your business sits in, and the function each person performs. The same method applies in all three jurisdictions — only the statutes underneath change.
Which relationship your people are in decides which mandatory layer they carry.
Every function resolves to one of two seats, on a single test: direct contact with guests, minors, cash or confidential records.
Sports functions — Employee, Manager & Supervisor, Contractor, and Non-Employee or Volunteer with Access to Minors — resolve the same way. Access to minors puts a function in the high-contact seat regardless of employment status.
Groups running across borders get one process built to the strictest applicable standard, rather than three parallel programmes that drift apart. Tell us where you operate and we will map it.