Sexual harassment should never be taken lightly on either a social or legal level, and anyone with concerns in this category should act fast before matters escalate and even more damage is caused to the victims involved.
According to the New York City Human Rights Law, there are some mandatory requirements that all employers are expected to fulfill when it comes to protecting their employees from sexual harassment. The Stop Sexual Harassment Act entails that employers ensure they provide an annual training program that is based on sexual harassment. Apart from their training, they are also required to provide a fact sheet to all their employees and post a notice somewhere that all employees can visibly see it that mentions the gravity and repercussions of such actions.
This rule applies to all employers who have 15 or more employees within the calendar year. If employers fail to provide this required training, they will have to face legal consequences if they are ever reported so it is in every employer’s best interest to make sure they follow the rules and take the required precautions to ensure the safety of everyone around them. This training needs to occur each calendar year and there are little to no exceptions.
If an employer decides to skip this step and a case of sexual harassment is reported, then during the investigation when authorities find out no training was provided, the company can be held to legal account for failing to keep everyone who worked for them safe. Even if employers hire a short-term employee, they are required to train them as well if they worked for at least 90 days and more than 80 hours. Even independent contractors are considered employees in the case of sexual harassment, and they are included in the 15-employee minimum count.
What must be included during employee sexual harassment training in New York?
The government has developed an online training program that is for the public for free and employers can use that as part of the program. Once the training is complete, users even receive a certificate that employers can keep on record just in case any legal disputes do arise in the future. Employers also have the option of creating their own training program, but the minimum elements must be met.
Sexual harassment should never be taken lightly on either a social or legal level, and anyone with concerns in this category should act fast before matters escalate and even more damage is caused to the victims involved. If any employer has questions about the mandatory legal sexual harassment training, they should get in touch with a sexual harassment lawyer as soon as possible. If employees have harassment concerns regarding their employer, they should also contact ana attorney right away, so they get receive the legal support and advice need to start feelings safe again.
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