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5 things to know about New York’s new sexual harassment laws

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New York State's new sexual harassment laws offer greater protection
The #metoo movement has galvanized women worldwide. Photo credit: Jeanne Menjoulet

Whether you’re an employee or an employer, it’s smart to get up to speed on New York State’s new sexual harassment prevention laws. In light of the #metoo movement, it’s great to see that New York State is taking the issue of sexual harassment seriously.

New York State has done an excellent job with its “Combating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace” website. The website has sections for employers and workers along with FAQs and links to useful resources.

Here are five things you should know about the sexual harassment prevention policies that New York State has implemented.

Sexual harassment prevention policies must be in writing 

Every employer has to have a policy, and they must share it with their employees. The state Department of Labor, in consultation with the Division of Human Rights, developed a model sexual harassment prevention policy. Employers can use this or adopt a similar one that meets or exceeds standards.

Employees must get sexual harassment prevention training

What’s cool about this rule is that the training has to be interactive. That means an employer can’t just hand out a document for an employee to read and call that training. The state is providing all kinds of resources to help employers, so they don’t have to develop their own training. Why reinvent the wheel? The resources are in a variety of formats, including a PowerPoint presentation. Training must be offered by Oct. 9, 2019 and continue annually.

Employers must have a specific form for sexual harassment complaints 

By requiring a specific form, the state is ensuring that employees and employers will have a written record of the complaint. The state is providing model forms in both pdf and docx. The form asks specific questions, such as the name of the accused, when the incident(s) took place, how it’s affecting the complainant and her or his work, etc. The form also asks if the complainant has retained an attorney and if she/he wants to have the employer work with the attorney. If that’s the case, then they need to supply the attorney’s contact information.

Sexual harassment investigation must be done in a timely manner

A company’s policy must pledge to conduct an investigation in a timely manner and confidential to the extent that is possible. Unfortunately, it doesn’t explain what exactly “timely” means. However, there are clues within the model policy, such as the statement that “Upon receipt of complaint, [person or office designated] will conduct an immediate review of the allegations, and take any interim actions (e.g., instructing the respondent to refrain from communications with the complainant), as appropriate.” 

Human Rights law applies to independent contractors 

There’s good news for people like me who work as independent contractors. The Human Rights Law now protects contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants or others providing services in the workplace from sexual harassment in the workplace, according to the state website.

As a person who works in the field of communications, I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the state’s website on this issue. If you’re an employee and you haven’t heard yet from your employer about its policy,  contact your supervisor or the human resources department.

What is your company doing about the new regulations? 

Rochester SCORE honors owners of Imprintable Solutions, Dazzing Dust Bunnies

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Tina Paradiso, Jack Dailey
Tina Paradiso, owner of Imprintable Solutions, and SCORE mentor Jack Dailey

When Tina Paradiso bought a printing business five years ago, it turned out to be quite a different experience from what she had anticipated. The financials weren’t as good as she had thought, and “the back office was a mess.”

Now that company is the successful Imprintable Solutions. On May 3, Tina was honored as a “Client of the Year” by the Greater Rochester Chapter of SCORE.

Tina credited her two SCORE mentors, Jack Dailey and the late Tony Carlisi, with helping her to turn the company around. They guided her on streamlining processes to be more efficient, and figuring out how to grow the company using the resources she had.

At the “Client of the Year” luncheon held at Oak Hill, Tina thanked SCORE, its partner the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Pathstone with helping her make her business a success. When she was starting out, “I had no idea how rich in resources Rochester is for entrepreneurs,” she told the group of about 100 attendees. She also urged the business owners in the room to seek certification as a Minority or Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE), which can help the business get contracts. Tina said 41% of her customers are due to her having the certification. She also bought a second business in 2016.

 

Kristin Ragona, Evie Hurt
SCORE mentor Kristin Ragona and Evie Hurt, owner of Dazzling Dust Bunnies

Also honored as a “Client of the Year” was Evie Hurt, owner of Dazzling Dust Bunnies, which provides cleaning services to homes. Kristin Ragona has been Evie’s SCORE mentor since 2014. Evie said that she knew when she started her cleaning business that she wanted to have employees, and be insured and bonded.

When she met with Kristin, “she gave me great information on the very first day”  and the two have continued to meet for mentoring sessions. Today, Dazzling Dust Bunnies has four employees and 50-60 regular clients in Orleans and Monroe counties. The Better Business Bureau has awarded the company a five-star rating. “We’re getting well known for the quality work that we do,” Evie said. “I don’t hire someone who doesn’t have the passion for house cleaning like I do.”

Each year, the Greater Rochester Chapter of SCORE honors clients who have worked with SCORE mentors over several years and have established profitable businesses. The event was part of a day of seminars on “Knowing, Growing and Protecting Your Business.”

To read about the 2017 Clients of the Year, click here. 

I’m the chairman of volunteers for the SCORE chapter, and we offer free one-on-one mentoring and low-cost or free workshops. This group does amazing work, I’m proud to say. I’m always looking for savvy business people to join our chapter as mentors. For more information on our chapter’s mentoring services, workshops or volunteering, click here.

 

Clients of the Year Tina Paradiso and Evie Hurt with SCORE volunteers Art Roberts (chapter chairman), Jack Dailey, Kristin Ragona and Bill Ritter (district chairman).

5 golf tips that apply to success in business

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Playing golf at Chequessett Golf Club in Wellfleet on Cape Cod.

If you’ve ever played golf, you know how frustrating it can be. I wanted to play more this summer to improve my game, so I joined a women’s league and took a few group lessons at Big Oak.

Then I broke my right thumb and index finger in a car accident. Just when my game was starting to improve!

But that hasn’t stopped me from trying to pick up tips by watching the LPGA and PGA on TV, and thinking about returning to the game.

I realized that what I learn on the course can apply to being more successful in business. So here are five tips I’ve picked up:

Know how to focus.

One  thing I love about golf is that if you are going to hit a good shot, you have to focus intently on what you are doing. There’s no room in your brain to be distracted by 1,000 other things. I find when I stare hard at the ball, I hit it soundly. Just like in business, you have to focus intently on the project or problem at hand. If you allow yourself to be distracted and take your eye off the ball, you’re going to land in the rough.

Know the rules of the game intimately.

We all get in the rough once in a while, even Jordan Spieth on the 13th hole at The Open recently. Because he knew the rules of golf so well, he used them to his advantage and got out of a real pickle with just a bogey. He went on to win the Claret Jug.  (Click here to read about what happened.) In business, we have to know and understand all the potential options and pitfalls. That means doing research and calling trusted advisers, not winging it.

Know the clubs in your bag.

Just like in business, succeeding at golf involves being good with your tools. When you’re 100 yards from the pin and in the rough, what club will you use? I bet it’s a different club than if you have a nice fairway lie. In business, your tools could be your staff or associates or software programs. Know their talents and utilize them appropriately depending on the situation.

Know a good teacher.

When I started playing nine holes of golf twice a week rather than once, I thought my game would start to improve. Wrong! I was just feeling doubly frustrated as I continued to play erratically. I hadn’t taken a lesson in years. I realized I needed a pro to analyze my grip and swing. After each lesson, I wrote in a notebook what the pro had said. Then I re-read my notes before I went to the driving range or played a round.  What a difference. I began hitting the ball more accurately and making fewer poor shots. My husband noticed my improvement when he played with me. There’s a lot of emphasis these days on finding a good mentor, but taking a class (online or in person) or a webinar can be just as valuable.

I got very frustrated in the rough on this hole at the Highlands course in Truro on Cape Cod.

Know that you need to move on after a bad shot.

At one of my golf lessons, the pro saw me hit a slice. “What did I do wrong?” I asked. He said, “I know what you did wrong, but I’m not going to tell you. Instead, just focus on hitting the ball the way I showed you.” I followed the checklist, and my next shot was perfect. When we make mistakes, we can’t belabor them. The pros know they can’t wallow after a poor shot. They have to hit the next one really well and the next and the next if they want to win.

Sometimes our golf games, and our business deals, come together and we hit a great drive “right down the middle,” as my dad used to cry out in delight. Other times we’re in the rough and we have to skillfully navigate our way out.

What business lessons have you picked up from playing golf or another sport?