It starts with a comment you didn’t ask for. Maybe it’s a “joke” about your appearance, a lingering look that makes you want to walk the other way, or an inappropriate message that shows up after hours. It’s not coming from a coworker or a supervisor. It’s from a customer you’ve been told is “important to the business,” or a vendor your company relies on. You expect your employer to step in and protect you, but instead you hear, “There’s nothing we can do, they don’t work here.”
That response is not only dismissive, it’s wrong. In New York, the law makes it clear that your right to a workplace free from harassment does not end at the employee roster. If you are experiencing harassment from clients, customers, contractors, or vendors, your employer still has a legal obligation to act.
The New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law both protect employees from harassment by third parties without requiring you to prove the behavior was “severe or pervasive.” Under both laws, a single incident can be considered unlawful if it exceeds a petty slight or trivial inconvenience. These protections apply when the harassment is tied to a protected characteristic such as sex, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
These situations are not hypothetical. They happen in restaurants when a regular customer corners a server in the kitchen. They occur in offices when a long-time client uses racial slurs toward staff during a meeting. They happen in hospitals when a patient makes repeated sexual comments to a nurse. And they occur in construction sites when a subcontractor treats the crew like a captive audience for his “jokes.”
When harassment comes from outside the company, employees often feel trapped. The fear of losing a client or a contract is sometimes used as an excuse to ignore complaints, but that is not a lawful reason to leave an employee unprotected. If you report harassment to your employer and they fail to take action, they may be breaking the law.
If you are in this position, you do not have to tolerate it. You can and should speak up — and you have the right to expect your employer to take meaningful action. At Risman & Risman, P.C., we represent employees across New York City and New York State who have experienced harassment from clients, customers, and vendors. We understand how isolating it can feel, and we are here to ensure your voice is heard and your rights are protected.
If this is happening to you, contact us for a confidential consultation. We will listen, explain your options, and stand with you until the harassment stops.