NY Governor Proposes New Anti-Harassment Rules

After a year of high profile workplace harassment claims, the Empire State is set to bolster victim protections and employer rules. In an announcement made just before his annual State of the State address, Governor Andrew Cuomo shared a series of anti-harassment proposals likely to become law later this year.
 

The governor’s proposals include:

• The establishment of a uniform set of harassment policies for government offices and contractors

• Barring the use of taxpayer money to pay off settlements in cases where government entities are involved

• A prohibition of all employer-employee confidentiality agreements related to harassment, unless the victim expressly requests to sign one

• New sexual harassment reporting requirements for employers that do business with the state of New York

That last proposal would require businesses to annually share a full record of sexual harassment violations and nondisclosure agreements with the state. More specifics on this particular provision are expected in the coming weeks.

The governor has made it a habit to unveil—and subsequently deliver on—labor and social initiatives at his annual address. Back in 2016, Cuomo implored state lawmakers to give New York a paid family leave program. They did just that, and now New York has the most generous statewide paid leave mandate in the country.
 

The Namely Team will continue to monitor the governor’s proposals as they make their way through the legislative process.