As a reminder to ALL employers in New York State, tomorrow is the deadline to distribute a policy compliant with the NYS sexual harassment law. If you follow this link, you will be able to locate the Model Sexual Harassment Policy and Complaint Form published by the State. If you need a WORD version, they are accessible on the State’s website.
The requirement to distribute compliant policies applies to ALL employers in New York State, regardless of size (yes, one (1) employee is sufficient to be governed by this law).
For the document itself, we suggest naming your company in the “Employer Name” section and then defining your company as (the “Company”) after providing the name. From there, you can simply insert “the Company” wherever is asks for “Employer Name.” As well, please ensure that you follow the other prompts for information, including the individual/department to where complaints should be made, along with contact information and instructions for filing a complaint in the Company.
Please note that this policy covers sexual harassment only. However, employers should know that sexual harassment (which is a form of gender discrimination) is not the only type of harassment covered by the law. Federal, state and local laws also prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment for other protected classes.
The Law Offices of Yale Pollack, P.C. has prepared Equal Employment Opportunity policies that cover all forms of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, along with appropriate complaint forms. Although not required, it is suggested that employers adopt policies demonstrating their compliance with the law by adopting policies that prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace.
In addition to the policy, New York has also enacted laws that require training to all employees on sexual harassment. Such training must be completed no later than October 9, 2019. Again, the firm can assist with training employees against discrimination and harassment.
For further information, please call Yale Pollack at 516-774-1015, or email [email protected].