Category Archives: Legislation

Documentary features NY fight for Workplace Bullying Law

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Several major publications have recently posted articles on the topic…hopefully this means victims will start getting the attention they deserve and a better law.   As someone whose life was turned upside down by an abusive boss all I can say is — it’s about TIME.  I’ve been making documentaries for 20 years that have been well received at major film festivals and on TV (HBO, PBS etc).  Last year I launched an online documentary about the struggle to pass legislation to stop abusive bosses.  This is probably the hardest of all the topics I’ve taken on.  The stigma attached to victims makes it difficult for people to take seriously.   And the mainstream press rarely goes beyond the “go to” sites to do some real in depth reporting…it’s much more complicated than the ‘branding’ that’s out there.

(Click here to see videos)

Can OSHA help stop Workplace Bullying?

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I had a chance to attend Susan Harthill’s presentation at the recent Int’l Conference on Workplace Bullying & Harassment held last month in Cardiff.  Her academic article (“The Need for a Revitalized Regulatory Scheme to Address Workplace Bullying in the United States: Harnessing the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act”) suggests that OSHA may be able to help victims/targets of Workplace Bullying: “OSHA’s existing regulatory scheme should incorporate workplace bullying because OSHA is a singularly appropriate vehicle for such efforts and because prevention of workplace bullying through an existing scheme complements efforts to enact new legislation specifically addressing the problem.”  Continue reading →

NY’s Healthy Workplace Bill done for this year

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Assemblyman Englebright’s office called to say that the Labor Committee held A5414b.  They do expect to reintroduce legislation next January and in the meantime will look at the language definitions within the bill.   Continue reading →

NY Sponsor of Healthy Workplace Bill says decision is less than an hour away

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Assemblyman Englebright’s office says they expect to know by 1pm today whether or not the bill moves forward they will address concerns by business lobbyists that language in the bill needs to be more clearly redefined.   There have been a number of groups who have sent opposition memos including this one:

There are a number of federal and state laws on the books today that already provide a sufficient avenue of redress. This legislation, however, does not address any inadequacies of these current protections but, rather, develops a “civility code” in the workplace which would now open every comment, perceived slight, performance review, disciplinary action and termination for review by the courts. [Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce]

NY’s Workplace Bullying Legislation Could Fill Gap In Current Workplace Violence Policy

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Some time ago NY passed a Workplace Violence policy to protect public employees and part of that law includes worker-on-worker violence.  But, Matt London of PEF, one of the main people crafting the policy, says: “the current law only covers bullying if there is a physical assault or the explicit threat of physical violence.”  Instead they are “strongly encouraging agencies to have their programs include a broader definition of workplace violence, one which includes bullying.”   The Healthy Workplace Bill recently passed in the NY State Senate and now waiting for a vote on the Assembly side is expected to fill that gap — and it protects private employees as well!

NY Advocates say they have votes to pass Workplace Bullying law!

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If it gets to the floor for a vote:

Mike Schlicht, State Coordinator for NYHWA (New York Healthy Workplace Advocates) says they are “just two sponsors short of having one third of the Assembly signed onto their version of the bill.” But before that can happen, it still has to make it out of the Labor Committee where it’s been stuck since last year. The Wall Street Journal reports that the committee’s chair, Susan John, feels it may drive business out of the state.  Continue reading →