NYS-Required Sexual Harassment Docs Available “In the Near Future” in Business and at Work

October begins this week; and the deadline to distribute the new NYS model sexual harassment policy and complaint form is next Tuesday, October 9th.

However, we’re (clients, colleagues and all NYS employers) currently in a holding pattern to comply with the October 9th deadline, as the comment period for the draft model sexual harassment policy, complaint form and training required for employer compliance closed just 2 weeks ago on September 12th, making it problematic for NYS to review and incorporate comments into the final documents in time for Tuesday, October 9th.

As the week begins, hearing no definitive word on the final documents needed to comply by the October 9th deadline, I checked the NYS Combating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Employer website for updates, and found this message:

**The state has received hundreds of very constructive and substantive comments from a wide range of individuals, advocates, industries, worker groups, businesses and business organizations. The comments are being reviewed and necessary revisions being considered, with finalized documents expected to be released in the near future.

New news is better than no news. I then sent the email below to the NYS Combat Harassment website:

From: Deb Best Practices <deb@debbestpractices.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2018 1:52 PM
Subject: Time-Sensitive Request: please confirm new employer “near future” notification on NYS Employer “Combating Workplace Harassment Website: will final required model documents be published after October 9, 2018?
Importance: High

Good afternoon:

Regarding the new notice on the NYS Employer “Combating Workplace Harassment Website:

**The state has received hundreds of very constructive and substantive comments from a wide range of individuals, advocates, industries, worker groups, businesses and business organizations. The comments are being reviewed and necessary revisions being considered, with finalized documents expected to be released in the near future.

• The term “near future” implies that the required model NYS Sexual Harassment policy, complaint form and training documents will not be finalized until after October 9, 2018; and

• If the finalized documents are not available on or before October 9, 2018 – is the plan to change the employer compliance effective date to a later date after October 9, 2018?

• If so: when will the revised / later employer compliance effective date be communicated to employers?

Please advise at your earliest convenience; as you know, we all have clients and colleagues who need to prepare for the October 9, 2018 employer compliance effective date deadline; and if the finalized documents are not available until “the near future,” how will employers be able to comply by October 9, 2018?

Thank you in advance for your kind attention and response regarding this important employer compliance effort.

Debra J. M. Best, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Deb Best Practices

• Human Resources, Operations and Organization Effectiveness
• Corporate / Internal Recruitment: Recruiting Your Talent for Retention
• NYS Harassment Prevention Training • Third-Party Investigations
• Change Management • Workplace Conflict Resolution & Mediation
• Team / Leadership Coaching
• Strategic Planning Facilitation

(518) 527-9261 ● Deb@DebBestPractices.com or deb.mbest@gmail.com

http://www.DebBest.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/debrabest

The expectation is that we should all hear confirmation on the compliance deadline – next week, or later. In the meantime, I’ll let you know when I get a response.

How will you ensure that your organization will comply with the NYS Workplace Sexual Harassment guidelines by the prescribed deadline (at this writing, October 9, 2018) in business and at work?