Directs the commissioner of labor to create and distribute to employers written materials regarding mental health services and resources available to employees to be posted in the workplace; directs voluntary guidance for employers to put in place strategies and programs to support the mental health and wellness of their employees; provides that such guidance be in written and digital resources and in English or translated to an additional primary language or languages as applicable.
Summary
S00381 would require the New York State Department of Labor, working with the Office of Mental Health and the Division of Human Rights, to create and distribute workplace materials about mental health services and resources for employees. Those materials must cover signs and symptoms of mental health concerns, hotline and website resources, and information about federal, state, and local anti-discrimination protections for workers with mental health-related disabilities. The bill also requires the materials to be translated into at least the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by people with limited English proficiency in New York, based on the most recent American Community Survey.
In addition to the required workplace postings, the bill directs the commissioner to develop voluntary guidance for employers. That guidance would include best practices and tools to reduce stigma, increase awareness, support inclusive workplaces for employees with mental health-related disabilities, and promote wellness and stress management. The guidance may be provided in written and digital form, but employers would not be required to adopt it beyond posting the state-created materials.
Impact
The bill would amend the Labor Law by adding a new section 201-j, creating a statewide workplace mental health posting requirement and a related employer guidance program. It would impose a new administrative duty on the Department of Labor to prepare, translate, and distribute materials, and it would require all employers in the state to display them in a conspicuous and accessible location, with additional language postings where a significant number of employees use another primary language. The bill also expands the practical reach of existing anti-discrimination and mental health resource information by placing it directly in workplaces.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support in the Senate based on the committee and floor votes, which were overwhelmingly favorable, though not unanimous. The Labor Committee approved it unanimously in the recorded vote, and the Senate floor passed it by large margins in both recorded passages. That voting pattern suggests general agreement with the bill’s goal of increasing mental health awareness and access to resources for workers.
Contention
The main points of possible contention are likely administrative burden, translation requirements, and the scope of employer obligations. Some lawmakers may have been concerned about the cost and logistics of producing multilingual materials and requiring every employer to post them, while others may have viewed the bill as a modest and practical workplace health measure. The small number of negative votes on the Senate floor indicates limited but present opposition, likely centered on mandates placed on employers and the state’s role in workplace policy.
Directs the commissioner of labor to create and distribute to employers written materials regarding mental health services and resources available to employees to be posted in the workplace; directs voluntary guidance for employers to put in place strategies and programs to support the mental health and wellness of their employees; provides that such guidance be in written and digital resources and in English or translated to an additional primary language or languages as applicable.
Directs the commissioner of labor to create and distribute to employers a poster, pamphlet, or other written materials regarding mental health and wellness of employees to be posted in the workplace; directs voluntary guidelines for employers to put in place strategies and programs to support the mental health and wellness of their employees.
Relates to employee access to lactation rooms in the workplace; requires that employers post written policies regarding the rights of nursing employees.
Relates to requiring employers to obtain an acknowledgement of receipt from employees of their sexual harassment prevention policy and sexual harassment prevention training program in writing in English and in employees' primary languages; requires employers to obtain acknowledgements from employees and keep such acknowledgements for six years.
Relates to requiring employers to obtain an acknowledgement of receipt from employees of their sexual harassment prevention policy and sexual harassment prevention training program in writing in English and in employees' primary languages; requires employers to obtain acknowledgements from employees and keep such acknowledgements for six years.
AN ACT Relating to ensuring compliance with and enforcement of certain workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees;
Relates to requiring employers to obtain an acknowledgement of receipt from employees of their sexual harassment prevention policy and sexual harassment prevention training program in writing in English and in employees' primary languages; requires employers to obtain acknowledgements from employees and keep such acknowledgements for six years.
Relates to employee access to lactation rooms in the workplace; requires that employers post written policies regarding the rights of nursing employees.
Protects bullying/psychological abuse in workplace inflicted upon employees by employers/co-employees/provides civil remedies to affected employees/fines against employers/imprisonment/fines against co-employees.