As of December 2020, bills require sexual harassment training and other steps to combat workplace discrimination and harassment are pending in both houses of New Jersey’s legislature.
While AB 4637 (introduced in September) and SB 3262 (introduced earlier this month) differ in several aspects, both bills require employers to implement employee training programs and adopt harassment prevention policies.
Under the proposed legislation, all employers in New Jersey will be required to provide all employees interactive training on preventing unlawful workplace harassment and discrimination, beginning one year after enactment.
The introduction of these bills follows New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s announcement earlier this year that he would propose broad legislation to address and eliminate harassment in the workplace.
Impetus for the Proposed Legislation
After a year-long study, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights published a report, “Preventing and Eliminating Sexual Harassment in New Jersey,” in early 2020, which focused on sexual harassment. The report outlined best practices for employers, including recommendations that organizations adopt comprehensive policies addressing sexual harassment training reinforced through effective training.
Next Steps
Both bills have been referred to the appropriate legislative labor committees for consideration. Clear Law Institute will continue to report on future developments regarding this new legislation in New Jersey.
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