New York State and New York City anti-sexual harassment mandates are in effect, and the first deadline for training compliance is October 9th, 2019.
The mandates require more rigorous policy, training, disclosure, and internal procedures to better protect employees from workplace harassment. NYS and NYC require all public and private companies to develop these internal complaint processes regardless of size.
Both NYS and NYC have created “model” examples that meet the minimum requirements for each of the materials listed below with the exception of an internal complaint process. Companies may choose to create or use their own materials that either meet or exceed the minimum requirements. You can find the links to the model examples and information about the minimum requirements in the chart below.
About People First
People First is a technology platform for reporting and resolving workplace harassment. The software provides functionality for reporting, internal and external escalation, record-keeping, workplace analysis, confidentiality, and security to comply with both the “complaint form” and the “internal complaint process” requirement of the mandates.
Additionally, People First analytics enable executives to make data-driven decisions with their most important asset - their talent.
Guidance
Your organization can achieve compliance by using the table below as a guide.
Every New York State employer must fulfill the requirements in Column A.
New York City employers with 15+ employees must fulfill the requirements in Column A to meet state standards and additional requirements in Column B to meet the city’s standards.
Independent contractors who work more than 80 hours in a calendar year and for at least 90 days should also receive training.
| ALL NYS Employers | Deadline | Guidelines | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Size | NYC Employers With 0 to 14 Employees (A) |
NYC Employers With 15+ Employees (B) |
||
| Annual Training | Presentation Script Case Studies |
Additional Training | October 9, 2019 (NYS) December 31, 2019 (NYC) |
Must be interactive, and employers must keep records of completion with employee acknowledgment |
| Sexual Harassment Policy | Updated Policy | Updated Policy | October 9, 2018 (NYS) April 1, 2019 (NYC) |
Policy update with specific language, distribute to all employees electronically or in print |
| Fact Sheet | N/A | Fact Sheet | October 9, 2018 (NYS) April 1, 2019 (NYC) |
Must be distributed to new employees at the time of hire. Available in several languages |
| Poster | Poster (optional) |
Required Notice (English) Required Notice (Spanish) |
October 9, 2018 (NYS) April 1, 2019 (NYC) |
Must be displayed in a conspicuous area in both English and Spanish |
| Complaint Form | Complaint Form | Complaint Form | October 9, 2018 (NYS) April 1, 2019 (NYC) |
Must be distributed to all employees. Implementation of People First’s platform meets this requirement: Get started |
| Internal Complaint Process | Required to meet NYS requirement | Required to meet NYS requirement | October 9, 2018 (NYS) April 1, 2019 (NYC) |
Implementation of People First’s platform meets this requirement: Get started |
People First is here to help
If you have any questions about how to manage workplace harassment to protect your company and create a safer working environment, feel free to contact us.
