New legislation in New York State and New York City pertaining to workplace sexual harassment will require employers to revise their policies, training and procedures, employee handbooks, and agreements. All employers with at least one employee are subject to the New York State law, and New York City employers with at least 15 employees are also subject to the New York City Law. Effective October 9, 2018, all employers in New York State will be required to adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy that equals or exceeds the minimum standards set forth in a model sexual harassment policy that the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), in consultation with the New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR), has devised and made publicly available on its website. Any policy the employer adopts must be distributed to all employees in writing and posted in a conspicuous location. All employers in New York State will be required to complete sexual harassment prevention training for all employees by October 9, 2019 and provide training annually thereafter. The NYSDOL and NYSDHR have also provided a model program for this training. Additionally, effective April 1, 2019, all New York City employers with at least 15 employees must implement sexual harassment prevention training for all employees that is compliant with the city legislation, and they must ensure all employees are trained annually thereafter.
To ensure that your organization’s sexual harassment policy and training are in compliance with the new laws, please contact Laura L. Spring, Esq. at 315-477-6293 or [email protected].