Before you apply to event staff jobs, it’s important to know the general requirements and certifications needed to legally serve food and beverages in California.

California requires certifications to handle food and beverages because there is great liability involved with serving consumable goods.

California Catering Staff Certifications

California Food Handlers Card

The California Food Handlers Card is a certification required for completing an online food safety training.

Topics covered in the California Food Handlers course:

• Food borne Illness

• Time/Temperature Control for Safety Foods

• How and When to Wash Hands

• Good Personal Hygiene

• Bare Hand Contact with Ready to Eat Foods

• Preventing Cross Contamination

• Cleaning and Sanitizing

It’s important for catering staff to know these topics even if they aren’t directly preparing food. Serving food is just as important as preparing food.

This training is simple, and gives students the option to skip through the course and head straight to the quiz.

The California Food Handlers card is $7.95 and valid for 3 years from completion. This course is completable within a few hours.

California Responsible Beverage Service

The RBS certification is in reference to alcoholic beverages, and is required to complete online for all catering staff.

Topics covered in California RBS Course:

• Identify problems and facts attributed to alcoholic beverages

• Prevent sales of alcoholic beverages to minors and intoxicated people

• Prevent violations of alcohol laws and rules

The California RBS Course requires quite some time to complete, It’s recommended to actually learn the material before proceeding to the online test.

The California RBS is a highly involved course, and it’s required to follow along with the course material before attempting the quiz.

This certification is valid for 3 years and requires renewal to continue to serve food and beverages.

California Sexual Harassment Training

California requires that all employers of 5 or more employees provide training to their employees regarding sexual harassment and prevention of abusive conduct.

Topics covered in California Sexual Harassment Training

• The definition of sexual harassment under Title VII and FEHA

• Federal and state statutes and case law prohibiting and preventing sexual harassment

• Types of conduct that constitute sexual harassment with examples

• The definition of “abusive conduct” under CA state law

• Prevention strategies for harassment and abusive conduct

• Information about preventing abusive conduct and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression

• Supervisor’s duty to report harassment

• What to do if a supervisor is personally accused of harassment

• An explanation of limited confidentiality of the complaint and investigation process

• Questions that assess learning, skill-building activities to assess understanding and application of content, and hypothetical scenarios about harassment with discussion questions

• Remedies and resources (to whom to report harassment) available for sexual harassment victims

• How employers must correct harassing behavior

Every 2 years, supervisors are required 2 hours of sexual harassment training, and non-supervisory employees are required 1 hour.

The training must be provided within a month of the first day worked, or within first 100 hours worked.

Depending on the company that you work with, you may be required to take additional trainings. These are the three that are required by state law. Having them completed prior to your interview will put you a set above the rest. Good luck!