Employers in New York will face liability for harassment on any protected grounds — even if the harassment was not severe or pervasive — under a recently enacted measure (2019 Ch. 160, S 6577) that amends the New York Human Rights Law. The legislation expands protections for contractors, strengthens the ban on nondisclosure agreements that interfere with discrimination complaints, and immediately requires employers to provide a written copy of their sexual harassment prevention policy and training program to every employee at hire and annually thereafter. Effective dates of the reforms — some of which were flagged in the state 2019 budget — vary, but many will take effect Oct. 11.
The legislation features the following changes:
Non-Mercer Resources
Mercer Law & Policy Resources