New York Fights Workplace Sexual Harassment – Does Massachusetts Stack Up?

New York has been busy cracking down on sexual harassment in the workplace. First, on April 12, 2018, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York State Budget Bill for Fiscal Year 2019 ("Budget Bill") into law. One month later, on May 11, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act ("NYC Act") into law.

Following this surge of legislation in New York, here is an overview of how Massachusetts stacks up:

Sexual Harassment Training:

New York: Under the Budget Bill, by October 9, 2018 N.Y. State employers must provide "interactive" sexual harassment prevention training to all N.Y. State employees. While "interactive" is not defined, certain forms of in-person and computer-based training will likely satisfy this requirement. N.Y. State plans to release a model training, which employers will have the option to adopt. The NYC Act adds additional mandatory training requirements for all employees and interns, including required bystander