Are you looking for legal representation? How much do you value your time and hard-earned money? Then look no further because whenever you require legal representation, the Law Offices of Vincent Miletti, Esq., the Strongest Name in Law, got your six. We are the authoritative force in Employment & Labor Law, providing diverse legal services in both a traditional and online, web-based environment, whether it be for small or large-scale businesses on a panel or a case-by-case basis. Hitherto, serving as primary counsel or cumis counsel, we are not only taking over the industry when it comes to Employment Defense and Employment Practices, but also in Intellectual Property Defense (Trademark, Copyright, and Proprietary Information), Management Side Defense, Regulatory and Compliance, Business Law & Corporate Law, and Professional Liability, among others. Whether serving directly or on behalf of a third party (EPLI, D&O, E&O), we stay unusually motivated® to take on all your needs!

You can agree with us that, at times, getting the right legal representation and finding a good attorney feels like trying to catch a fish while running away from a twenty-foot high tide, especially when time and money are of the essence and the pressure of getting results before you move too far down the rabbit hole is building up. Certainly, only when you desperately need reliable legal representation, probably not from the types of Saul Goodman, will you understand the importance of having the right attorney by your side. So, do you need an attorney with the skills and legal expertise that match your needs? Operating in Brooklyn, New York, the larger New York City, and New York State, as well as in the firm’s new office located in Astoria Queens, your life-changing encounter with Vinny Miletti Esq., the founder and owner of Miletti Law®, whose legal expertise, knowledge, and experience has grown immensely over time since the firm first opened its doors is just an email and/or a call.

Still, in addition to providing legal services, you can concur with us that information is power, and, as such, we have diligently committed ourselves to creating a range of authoritative, trustworthy, and engaging content available on our website and social media platforms. In this regard, feel free to visit and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Yelp, and LinkedIn via the website, as well as subscribe to our Blog, YouTube Channel, and News Letter through https://milettilaw.com/blog and https://www.youtube.com/@MilettiLaw, and https://milettilaw.com/#7665b240-0790-4562-ac0f-9444f9f5165a, respectively, to enjoy such content aimed to keep our unusually motivated® readers informed about how diverse legal issues affect them and/or their businesses.

Accordingly, this blog is Part IV of the new series, “Key Workplace Policies and Employee Handbooks.” In Part III, we reviewed what New York law says about including anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, particularly concerning sexual harassment, in employee handbooks. Regarding this, we mentioned that as codified under N.Y. Lab. Law § 201-g(1), employers in New York are required to adopt a policy on the prevention of sexual harassment in compliance with guidelines provided by the New York Department of Labor. We also added that pursuant to this statute, the policy should give examples of acts that constitute sexual harassment, indicate that it is unlawful to retaliate against individuals who file complaints, include a complaint form, establish investigation and reporting procedures, and expressly state that sexual harassment is a form of employee misconduct.

To move this discussion forward, this blog is titled “Sexual Harassment Training Compliance in Employee Handbooks” and is Part IV of the series in which we have reviewed the requirements of New York law when it comes to sexual harassment training for employees.

Sexual Harassment Training Compliance in Employee Handbooks

As codified under N.Y. Lab. Law § 201-g(2), employers in the state of New York are mandated to provide their employees with training on how to prevent sexual harassment. Pursuant to this statute, the training must (1) include information concerning options for remedies, (2) explain sexual harassment in detail, (3) include examples of unlawful conduct, and (4) be interactive.

Indeed, in our blog titled “Harassment Claims under the New York City Human Rights Law” and accessible through https://milettilaw.com/harassment-claims-under-the-new-york-city-human-rights-law/, we emphasized the need for New York City employers to remain compliant with the anti-sexual harassment requirements mandated under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) in their workplaces. One of the key steps towards compliance discussed in this blog entailed conducting anti-sexual harassment interactive training.

Accordingly, we mentioned that as required by the NYCHRL, private employers should provide annual anti-sexual harassment interactive training to all employees, including freelancers, independent contractors, interns, and managerial or supervisory employees, if such employers have 15 or more employees. In addition, if an employee interacts with New York employees, even if not physically present in the city but based elsewhere, they should also be trained. We also learned that in line with the NYCHRL, for employees who, engaged either in a part-time or full-time plan, work more than 80 hours in a calendar year, training should be held after 90 days of the initial hire.

Notably, the NYCHRL provides a list of things that should be included in the training, including (1) a statement that to both state and federal law, sexual harassment encompasses unlawful discrimination, (2) a description and examples of sexual harassment, (3) an explanation that pursuant to the NYCHRL, sexual harassment encompasses unlawful discrimination, (4) specific responsibilities of managerial or supervisory employees in preventing sexual harassment and retaliation, including measures that may be taken by employees to address sexual harassment allegations appropriately, (5) the prohibition of retaliation, including examples, (6) information about bystander intervention, including how to engage in bystander intervention, (7) the complaint process available from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), New York State’s division of human rights, and New York City’s human rights commission, and (8) any internal complaint process through which employees can address their sexual harassment claims.

Additionally, while training on sexual harassment prevention should be conducted for all employers with 15 or more employees pursuant to N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-107, subd. 29-30, employers in New York State are required, under New York City’s Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act, to post a notice of responsibilities and rights concerning anti-sexual harassment. Notably, training on sexual harassment prevention in New York City should be conducted annually and exceed the requirements of the state law, such as by incorporating bystander intervention training, as highlighted earlier and explained in the blog accessible through the link provided above.

Be on the lookout for Part V of this series and our blog titled “Inclusion of a Disability Policy in Employee Handbooks,” in which we will review what New York law says about including a disability policy in employee handbooks.

As usual, stay tuned for more legal guidance, training, and education. In the interim, if there are any questions or comments, please let us know at the Contact Us page!

Always Rising Above the Bar,

Isaac T.,

Legal Writer, Author, and Publisher.