New York state requires sexual harassment training at work

FINGER LAKES--As issues regarding sexual harassment continue to be at the national forethought it is becoming increasingly important for not only local employees to know their rights but for local employers to do everything in their power to mitigate the issue. Since 2018 every business in New York is required to provide employees with sexual harassment prevention training, ensure no retaliation efforts are made against those making complaints and have a form available to report inappropriate behavior with a procedure for handling a complaint.
"Local businesses should take this seriously for two reasons," said Judy McKinney Cherry, executive director for the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development. "The first is that the workers of today are expecting a safe workplace and one that is free from harassment. To attract and retain good employees, the business needs to know and reinforce what is and is not acceptable behavior. Secondly, the statute of limitations is three years so even if an employee leaves, they have three years in which to lodge a complaint."
As American society continuously evolves, standards for interpersonal interaction, humor, and phrases have changed to be more inclusive for all groups.
"What's important to recognize here in our area is that many social norms have changed over the past 20 years and what may have been OK and funny in the past, may not be acceptable behavior in the workplace today," said Cherry.
The 2018 sexual harassment guidelines were put in place by the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who himself is scheduled to resign due to allegations of sexual harassment that were then confirmed by an investigation performed by the state attorney general. Although this administration implemented the new rules, the governor said in his highly criticized resignation speech, "In my mind, I've never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn't realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn't fully appreciate."
In documents provided by the state for various recommended employee sexual harassment trainings, it directly addresses that issue. The regulations say employers must provide employees with examples of prohibited conduct that demonstrates what would constitute unlawful sexual harassment, inform employees of their rights in the workplace as well as all available forums for addressing sexual harassment complaints administratively and judicially, include a detailed procedure for the timely and confidential investigation regarding complaints that would ensure due process for all parties involved and more.
"Every business in New York state is required to provide employees with sexual harassment prevention training," said Cherry.
The training and reinforcement of the rules must be done annually. Additional information for employers and employees is available at https://www.ny.gov/combating-sexual-harassment-workplace/employers.