New York Sexual Harassment Training Requirements

The New York State law does not set a minimum number of employees but under the New York City law any employer with 15 or more employees is subject to the training requirement. 

Because the State law supersedes the City law, all New York employees must receive training. 

• Managers, supervisors and employees (including temporary, part-time, and seasonal employees). 
• Government contractors who provide goods and services to New York. 
• Under New York City law independent contractors must also be trained. 
• Also, under New York City law, any employees located anywhere must be trained if they have contact with New York City. 

• State law encourages employers to retain records of the training. 
• City law requires employers to retain a signed acknowledgment that training was actually completed. 

Training must be interactive. Training must contain: 

• A detailed explanation of what constitutes sexual harassment at work (both City and State definitions); 
• Examples of conduct that constitutes sexual harassment (under the unique approach taken by New York City); 
• Information on the illegality of retaliation and examples of protected activity under the law; 
• Information on bystander intervention, including information on how to engage in bystander intervention; 
• Information on the duties specific to supervisors with respect to the prevention of sexual harassment; 
• Information on the remedies available to victims; 
• Information about employees’ rights to adjudicate complaints of sexual harassment, both administratively and judicially, and the forums in which to do so; and 
• Contact information for equal employment opportunity agencies. 

• Yes. Employers are required to provide employees in New York a written notice of sexual harassment prevention. 
• This document must be provided at the time of hire and during annual harassment training. 
• The notice must include: 

• The employer’s sexual harassment prevention policy; and 
• The information and materials presented in the harassment training program. 

• The policy and notification must be provided in English and the language the employee identifies as his or her primary language. 
• Employers are also required to post their sexual harassment policy “prominently in work locations” and to provide a copy to employees at the time of hire. 
• Under New York City law, employees must post a copy of the NYC sexual harassment poster and “Fact Sheet” and provide the Fact Sheet at the time of hire.