Public Testimony for HB 5464 AN ACT CONCERNING STATE EMPLOYEES AND VIOLENCE AND BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE can be viewed at this link.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CommDocTmyBillAllComm.asp?bill=HB-05464&doc_year=2011
The Petition on Change.Org from CT Healthy Workplace Advocates was submitted: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Change.org-TMY.PDF
The Connecticut State University-American Association of University Professors was submitted: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-CSU-AAUP-TMY.PDF
Donna Monroe of the University Connecticut Human Resources Office provided testimony and some statistics about UConn: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Donna%20Monroe%20-%20UCONN-TMY.PDF
Donna Monroe also presented testimony objecting to defining graduate students as employees: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Donna%20Munroe%200%20UCONN-TMY.PDF
The following link is incorrectly labeled with my name, Katherine Hermes, and is in reality the testimony of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Katherine%20Hermes-TMY.PDF
Connecticut AFL-CIO submitted testimony: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Lori%20Pelletier%20-%20CT%20AFL-CIO-TMY.PDF
The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women submitted: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-PCSW-TMY.PDF
The University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association submitted: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-UCPEA-TMY.PDF
Katherine Hermes, Volunteer Co-coordinator for Connecticut Healthy Workplace Advocates: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Katherine%20Hermes%20-CT.%20Healthy%20Workplace%20Advocates-TMY.PDF
Linda Denton, Certified Life Coach and Licensed Occupational Therapist: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-Linda%20Denton-TMY.PDF
Connecticut Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission submitted: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/LABdata/Tmy/2011HB-05464-R000217-St%20of%20Ct.%20Asian%20Pacific%20American%20Affairs%20Commission%20-TMY.PDF
It's always difficult when issues of workplace bullying come up in the state legislature to get 1) support for the bill and 2) testimony from targets. As someone who has been lobbying for 6 years to get a Healthy Workplace Bill in Connecticut, I understand the debates among those who are on the side of protecting targets but struggle with what legislation to fight for. This bill, HB 5464, is very limited. It only studies the problem among state employees. Some of our advocates object to the bill not being inclusive of non-state employees, which is completely understandable. Yet a study bill can be the first stage to a more comprehensive bill. For that to happen though, targets have to speak up. This is the most difficult obstacle to passage. Targets are often frightened--of losing their jobs, of retaliation, of being victimized again, of reliving the pain, of being called liars, of being sued. The list of fears is endless, and unfortunately these are not unrealistic fears. But we need to have a strategy so that we do not keep winding up with a list like the one below, very institutional and little that is personal.
ReplyDeletePerhaps one solution is to have family and friends speak, rather than the target. Workplace Bullying is a lot like domestic violence. Its reach is far and wide. It hurts other people at work, it damages close relationships, and it can even lead to divorce. The bullying inflicts a mental injury that is so deep and damaging that others suffer too. These people, our friends and relatives, also have stories to tell.
The people who oppose a Heathy Workplace Bill or a study bill for state employees, the true opponents of any law that would fetter businesses or workplaces from harassing employees, are people we need to engage with and refute. But they are not the real problem in getting the law passed. The real problem we face is that targets don't come forward at public hearings, and so very few people speak for them.
I don't know what is in store for this legislative year. This bill, 5464, might make it to the floor for a vote, or it might not. No Healthy Workplace Bill is in sight. The pressure to create jobs and support businesses in CT means that worker-protection laws face an uphill battle. But as we look to the future, we need to figure out a way to get personal stories into the public arena without hurting or harming the targets of workplace bullying. I hope we can have a dialogue about this. If a blogpost is the wrong venue, perhaps the dialogue can take place at a meeting somewhere.
I was a victim of a workplace bully until I lost my job recently...I would be more than happy to testify on how this 54 yr. old handicapped (hearing impaired) woman would torment me every day and no help from my employer Kelly Temp Servive or Eli Lilly whom I was working for. This person threw 8 coolers full of medicine at me, talked down to me, almost ran me over with forktruck,sabotage my work, screamed at me often, etc...going through the companies complaint procedure did no good ..I was told to be more professional lol!! The stress was unbelievable and till effects me even though I'm not there anymore I keep wondering what I did wrong & why didn't my co-workers help me?? Now that I'm unemployed I have plenty of time to work for this cause!
ReplyDeleteJeannette