Mayor DeBlasio has recently signed into law the Stop Sexual Harassment in New York City Act (the “Act”).
In addition to allowing gender-based harassment claims regardless of the size of the employer, any employer contracting with New York City must also include their own practices and procedures as they relate to preventing and addressing sexual harassment.
Effective September 6, 2018, employers will also be required to display an anti-sexual harassment poster and provide all new hires with an information sheet regarding sexual harassment. The NYC Commission on Human Rights (the “NYC Commission”) recently released both the poster and information sheet.
The Act also requires employers with fifteen (15) or more employees to conduct anti-sexual harassment training for all employees, including those in supervisor or managerial positions. The City Commission is tasked with developing a program that meets all requirements of the Act. The City Commission’s program will need to be supplemented with information regarding each employer’s internal sexual harassment complaint process. This requirement goes into effect April 1, 2019.
In addition to the above-described requirements, New York City employers must also adhere to the anti-sexual harassment measures passed by New York State. (link to previous article) New York State’s sexual harassment policy and training modules are expected to be released in the coming weeks.