We posted this notice to our New York City Solution Center members
UPDATE* April 4, 2019
A key thing to note is that all employers in the state needed to update their handbooks to reflect the new rules surrounding harassment in the workplace. That update occurred about 6 months ago and now it’s time to address the second half of the statute which is training specific to New York City.
Details are included.
New York City Releases Sexual Harassment Training Video – Training Required by December 31, 2019
New York City has released model sexual harassment training. This video may be used to comply with the city and the state’s new sexual harassment training requirements. The training video and other resources can be accessed on the city’s website.
Training Requirements. CEDR’s members have already received updated handbook policies in response to this law, and we covered the training requirements in a prior update. Now, New York City employers with 15 or more employees must complete training with all employees by December 31, 2019. Training must meet a specific list of minimum requirements, including that it be “interactive” and include examples of unlawful sexual harassment. Due to the specific nature of the training requirements, CEDR recommends you use the model materials from the city.
Since New York City’s model training meets the requirements for the state as well, employers who use New York City’s online training do not need to provide their staff with two different trainings a year.
Training Video. The newly released model training video takes about 45 minutes and can be taken from a computer or phone. Employees won’t be able to save their progress, so it’s important that they take it when they are able to dedicate enough time to it to complete it in one sitting.
How this affects you as a manager
Make sure your employees know that training is now available and must be completed prior to December 31, 2019. Required training is compensable time , so be sure to budget an hour of pay for your employees to complete this training. Employees will receive a certificate of completion which you’ll need to save in your records for three (3) years.
How this affects your handbook
You should have already distributed an updated policy in your Employee Handbook provided to you by your service provider, which includes policies addressing New York’s sexual harassment prevention laws.
Remember that if you do not address this in writing and show that you are compliance, you lose your affirmative defense and that can be costly. This is a real time and money saver if you cover it properly.