Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act

The New York City council recently introduced a package of 11 bills entitled the “Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act.” The new legislation would require all businesses in New York City that employ at least 15 people to conduct sexual harassment training for employees. The bill specifies that the training be interactive, either in person, with audiovisual material or some other form approved by the City’s Human Rights Commission. New York City employers would also be required to post written policies and procedures on sexual harassment. Additionally, the plan would require City agencies to report the number of sexual harassment complaints filed and survey employees anonymously about the sexual harassment climate in the workplace.

If the legislation passes, New York City would be one of few jurisdictions that mandates sexual harassment training by private employers (California and Maine have introduced similar legislation). However, with so much focus on sexual harassment in the workplace recently, the use of legislation to combat sexual harassment may be a continuing trend.

So far, the new bills have received a wealth of support, including from New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio. But according to a recent New York Times article, the legislation has seen some opposition. The Times reported that Kathryn Wylde, president of business group, Partnership for New York City, said that “Thanks to the #MeToo movement, any employer who is not asleep understands the importance of strong policies on sexual harassment and relevant training. What more city laws are going to accomplish, aside from legal and compliance headaches, is unclear.”

But proponents of the bills believe that it is an important step towards addressing the problem. In support of the proposal, City Counsel speaker Corey Johnson stated, “This is a way to address [the #MeToo movement and the Time’s Up movement] and hopefully be on the leading edge of trying to do something legislatively that’s going to protect more people.”