Workplace Bullying (H 6352, S 196)

While ensuring a healthy workplace is a laudable goal, a piece of legislation rapidly passed by the Senate would have created a far-reaching “civility code” and imposed liability on employers or co-workers who were, among other things, “overbearing.” We opposed the bill, noting that it could potentially run afront of First Amendment protections in seeking to regulate routine personal interactions, and that it provided even broader protections than those available to victims of discrimination protected by the state Fair Employment Practices Act. While the bill passed the Senate, it died in the House.