Meeting New York Training Mandates by the October 2019 Deadline
By October 9, 2019, sexual harassment training in New York must be completed by every employee across every organization. Laws have been enacted that employers must comply with. From then on, employers will be legally responsible to provide harassment training to New York employees annually. So, if you are part of an organizations with employees in New York, you may want to hear what will need to happen. With the #MeToo movement and new state law, there is too much risk to let this to slip under your radar.
Grace Period
In New York, sexual harassment training was originally required to be completed by January 1, 2019. However, because of a new guidance, employers now have until October 9, 2019, to complete the required training. The New York State Department of Labor has recommended to get the training completed ASAP, so instead of waiting for another grace period, you may want to take advantage of online sexual harassment training that meets the New York trainng mandates. This will ensure that your organizations meets the October deadline.
Three Topics
When looking for New York specific online harassment training, it should cover three major topics. First, the training program should discuss examples of prohibited sexual conduct. Second, it must teach remedies that are available to sexual harassment victims. Third, it should also explain how sexual harassment a form of unlawful discrimination under both state and federal law is.
As Soon As Possible
Once October 2019 comes, the time frame for mandatory training for new employees will also change. Employees will no longer be expected to complete the training within thirty days. Rather, they need to complete training as soon as possible. So, instead of having more time to take the course, employees must get this training completed as soon as they can.
Primary Languages
All of these changes also affect individuals who don’t speak English as their primary language. Moreover, regardless of whether or not their employees’ primary language is covered, all employers are still held accountable for any employee misconduct. So, to prevent any potential issues, make sure that all of your employees fully understand all training materials. Depending on the language, you need to be mindful that translations from the state may be hard to come by.
Next Step
One of the best things you can do for you and your employees is to find and offer New York specific online sexual harassment training. Online education is scalable, cost effective, and provides electronic tracking, reporting, and deployment while meeting the New York interactive requirements. Once you have each employee complete the training online, you won’t have to worry about having solid records in the event of a state audit or lawsuit. Consider evaluating vendords thoroughly to ensure all requirements are met under New York law. Here is a comprehensive checklist that will help in your vendor review: New York Training Checklist. You want to make sure the training program offers everything to stay in compliance and reduce your risk of an EEOC complaint. Contact Impact Compliance Training today to get your employees trained before the October deadline.