In the wake of the #MeToo Movement, New York, California and a number of other jurisdictions, both local and state, have passed new laws aimed at combatting sexual harassment in the workplace. The New York laws require written sexual harassment prevention policy, assurance that all current and new employees, and even applicants for employment, receive a copy of the policy, and mandate annual sexual harassment training for all employees. In addition, New York law now provides that employers can be liable for sexual harassment of nonemployees in the workplace, such as contractors, vendors and subcontractors. Recent legislation prohibits employers from using mandatory arbitration provisions in employment contracts or nondisclosure agreements except when this is the victim preference. Let me suggest that there are some important lessons to be learned from these laws.
Continue Reading Lessons From Changes to New York State’s Sexual Harassment Laws
If your employees are part of the 25 million who have arbitration agreements that agree to bring claims in individual arbitration alone, then you will want to watch for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis. The Court heard arguments in the case last Monday and several of the Justices
