Employers have until October 9, 2019, to provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees and must conduct the training yearly thereafter.
Training must be completed by all exempt or non-exempt employees, part-time workers, seasonal workers, and temporary workers, and any individual that works a portion of his or her time in New York, even if based in another state. The anti-sexual harassment training should be “interactive” and the state encourages employers to use a live trainer as a “best practice for effective and engaging trainings.” There is no minimum length of time for the required training, and while web-based interactive training is acceptable, showing a video or giving employees a document to comply with do not meet the minimum training requirements.
Training must also be completed on an annual basis. After an initial training, the training may be based on the calendar year, anniversary of each employee’s start date, or any other date the employer chooses. The final guidelines specify that employers should train new hires “as soon as possible”. Additionally, if an employer has already administered training that does not meet all the new requirements, an employer need only provide supplemental training to ensure the minimum requirements are met. They must provide each employee with a copy of its policy in writing. Employers should provide employees with the policy in the language spoken by their employees.