Anti-bullying legislation continues to gain momentum in state legislatures, with Tennessee becoming the first state to pass anti-bullying legislation. June 17, 2014 Tennessee made law the Healthy Workplace Act. This law right now just covers state and local government agencies and private employers are not affected. The law defines “harassment, intimidation or bullying” as any act that “substantially interferes with a person’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment,” and instructs the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernment Relations to create a model policy by next March 2015. Private employers have the option to adopt the Healthy Workplace Act and those deciding to enact it would be immune from claims arriving from bullying behavior.
Many proponents of anti-bullying legislation believe other states would soon follow. So far, 28 states have introduced anti-bullying legislation this past year according to the Workplace Bullying Institute. VitalSmarts found that 96% of 2, 283 individuals had experience some form of workplace bullying. Even more disturbing was the survey found 86 % of bullies have been at it for more than one year and 54 % have been doing it for more than five years. Only 51% of the respondents reported their companies had a policy in place for dealing with bullies, with only 7 % saying they know someone who has used that policy. Further, the research revealed that workplace bullying can take many forms, with 62 % of respondents reporting efforts to sabotage others’ work and reputations; 52 % witnessing or experiencing browbeating, threats and intimidation; and 4 % observing or experiencing physical intimidation and assault.
Reference: D. Shadovits (7/10/2014)Taking Aim at Workplace Bullies, HR Executive Online
