Guide

New York Harassment Prevention Training Deadlines and Recordkeeping

New York harassment prevention training is annual, and employers choose the cycle. Learn the State rule, the New York City calendar-year rule, and what records to keep.

New York does not give employers one fixed training date. State law requires training at least once a year, and the State FAQ lets the employer choose the cycle.

The practical job is to pick one cycle, apply it to every employee, and keep a record that shows each person was trained on time.

The State rule: once a year, on a cycle you choose

According to the State FAQ, training may be based on the calendar year, on the anniversary of each employee's start date, or on any other date the employer chooses.

Calendar year: everyone is trained once between January 1 and December 31. This is simplest to run, and it matches the New York City cycle.
Start-date anniversary: each person is retrained a year after their last training. This spreads the work out but needs employee-by-employee tracking.
Another date: a single company-wide date, for example the start of a fiscal year.

New hires

The State FAQ says there is no requirement that a new hire's training take place within a particular amount of time. The written policy is separate: Labor Law §201-g requires giving employees the policy in writing at hiring and at every annual training. The State recommends giving the notice on or before the first day of work.

If you employ people in New York City

For employers covered by Local Law 96, the Commission says training is required every calendar year, and new hires should be trained as soon as possible after hire. The Commission's FAQ explains the City rule. Because it is a calendar-year rule, many employers use a calendar-year cycle for everyone.

What records to keep

State law: does not require a signed acknowledgment or set a retention period. The State encourages employers to keep a signed acknowledgment and a copy of training records.
New York City: covered employers must keep a record of all trainings for at least three years and make it available to the Commission on request. The record can be a certificate or a signed employee acknowledgment, on paper or electronic.

Even where the law only encourages records, the employer is the one who has to show later that training happened. A dated certificate per person per year, plus proof the policy was delivered, answers that question.

How Beamly helps

Beamly helps you track each employee's due date, send reminders, collect certificates, record policy delivery, and retrieve the history later. You choose the cycle and tell Beamly which states each employee works in; Beamly does not make a legal determination for you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the New York harassment prevention training deadline?

There is no single statewide date. Employees must be trained at least once a year, on a cycle the employer chooses.^[2]

How soon must a new hire be trained in New York?

The State sets no particular time limit for training a new hire. The Commission says New York City employers should train new hires as soon as possible after hire.^[2]^[3]

Can we use each employee's start date as the training cycle?

Yes. The State FAQ says the cycle may be based on the calendar year, each employee's start-date anniversary, or any other date the employer chooses.^[2]

How long must New York training records be kept?

State law does not set a period and encourages keeping records. New York City requires covered employers to keep training records for at least three years.^[2]^[3]

Is a signed acknowledgment required?

Not under State law, which encourages it. In New York City the required record may be a certificate or a signed employee acknowledgment.^[2]^[3]