Governor Hochul Announces Final Sexual Harassment Model Policy to Strengthen Protections for New York Workers

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York State Department of Labor has finalized updates to the State's Sexual Harassment Model Policy, a template document that New York State provides to employers to help them comply with State laws and access state-of-the-art policies on sexual harassment and related topics to protect employees in the workplace. The New York State Department of Labor collaborated with the New York State Division of Human Rights on the strengthened guidance, which addresses remote workers, gender discrimination, retaliation, and other new guidance for workers in New York State. The New York State Department of Labor also unveiled a new interactive training video and online resources to help employers and employees statewide understand and comply with the newly enhanced policy and mandatory training requirements.

"New York State is taking a tremendous step in modernizing our Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy to ensure that every worker has equitable access to resources that will foster safe and inclusive work environments," Governor Hochul said. "When I took office, I promised to overhaul our state's policies to give New Yorkers the strongest protections against workplace harassment and abuse. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Department of Labor and feedback from countless New Yorkers, these policy changes and resources will help businesses adapt their policies to the modern workplace and solidify New York's standing as a national leader for worker protection."

The new model policy and training resources include information, case studies, and real-world examples of how sexual harassment may emerge in a newly remote world of work and in a wider array of work experiences beyond the typical office space, as well as how gender discrimination, including gender role stereotyping and treating employees differently because of their gender, is sexual harassment. These tools help public and private sector employers comply with New York State laws that require employers to provide all employees with a sexual harassment and workplace discrimination prevention policy, annual sexual harassment and discrimination prevention training, and a copy of the policy on paper or by email at the time of hiring and annually during training.

Governor Hochul announced plans to update New York's Sexual Harassment Model Policy in July 2022 to ensure that New York continues to lead the nation in protecting its workers from harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. The new Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy was created with input from New Yorkers, advocates, stakeholders, and others statewide both online during an extensive public comment period, as well as in-person through meetings and a public hearing. The feedback was instrumental in drafting the new, modern, and plain-language policy, ensuring New York's workforce receives the utmost protections while on the job.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "New York State continues to be an economic powerhouse because we are backed by a strong and committed workforce. The new sexual harassment prevention policy and model training ensure the state's workers are protected. I thank Governor Hochul for her endless support for workers and for her commitment to ensure that New York State continues to be a leader in safeguarding the workforce."

New York State implemented its first Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy in 2018 as part of groundbreaking legislation enshrining New York State's commitment to establishing safer and more equitable workplaces. This legislation requires all employers, regardless of size, to adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy and provide annual training to employees and for New York State to provide a model policy and training to assist employers in meeting this requirement. The legislation also requires that the model policy provided by the State be reviewed and revised every four years.

In addition to a new training video available to all employers statewide, the New York State Department of Labor will also launch a public education campaign to help New Yorkers and businesses understand the newly strengthened policy. New York State has also updated its Combating Sexual Harassment resource page to include new toolkits for workers and employers, updated Frequently Asked Questions, as well as a new training slide deck and accompanying script, and other assets that businesses can utilize for employee training purposes to ensure compliance.

New York State Division of Human Rights Commissioner Maria L. Imperial said, "These important actions from the State Department of Labor will help build more equitable and inclusive workplaces, including those that are remote and hybrid. Governor Hochul has made eliminating sexual harassment a priority and the Division is proud to enforce our state's workplace harassment laws. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to uphold the dignity and safety of every worker across New York State."

For more information on the current Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy and to access all training resources, visit the Combating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace website. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, file a report online or call NYSDHR's new toll-free sexual harassment hotline at 1-800-HARASS-3 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.