Last updated on September 17th, 2019 at 02:27 pm
Governor Cuomo has signed into law the 2019 New York State Budget, updating the State’s sexual harassment laws to include new resources and requirements for employers. There are two key components under this law:
- Policy– As of October 2018, every employer in New York State must adopt and provide a sexual harassment prevention policy to all their employees.
- The Department of Labor has established a model sexual harassment prevention policy for employers to adopt, OR
- If you already have a policy, ensure that your policy meets or exceeds the minimum standards of the model policy
- All employees must have received the policy or will receive it before starting work
- The complaint form is part of the policy, make sure it is up to date and that all employees are aware of it
- Training– Every employer in New York State is required to provide employees with sexual harassment prevention training by October 9, 2019
- The Department of Labor has established a training model for employers to use …Or,
- You may use a training program that meets or exceeds the minimum standards of the model training
- New employees should be trained as quickly as possible.
- After the first training, employees must complete sexual harassment prevention training annually.
Additional NYC Requirements under Local Law 95 requires that employers in NYC must:
- display an anti-sexual harassment rights and responsibilities poster in English and Spanish…(visit our resource center to download the posters)
- distribute an information sheet in English and Spanish at the time of hire…. (visit our resource center to download the posters)