HJ0040eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0040 Engrossed LRB096 11885 AJO 23139 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 40

WHEREAS, The social and economic well-being of the State is reliant upon healthy and productive employees; and

WHEREAS, Surveys and studies have documented that 37% of employees directly experience health-endangering workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment, which is 4 times more prevalent than sexual harassment alone; and

WHEREAS, Workplace bullying is recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as a form of workplace violence; and

WHEREAS, Further studies and surveys have documented that abusive work environments can have severe effects on targeted employees, including feelings of shame and humiliation, stress, loss of sleep, severe anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, reduced immunity to infection, stress-related gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, and pathophysiologic changes that increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases; and

WHEREAS, Surveys and studies have documented that abusive work environments can have serious consequences for employers, including reduced employee productivity and morale, higher turnover and compensation claims; and

WHEREAS, Unless mistreated employees have been subjected to abusive treatment in the workplace for unlawful discriminatory reasons, they are unlikely to have legal recourse to redress such treatment; and

WHEREAS, Legal protection from abusive work environments should not be limited to behavior grounded in protected class status as required by employment discrimination statutes; and

WHEREAS, Current laws apply in only 20% of bullying cases; and

WHEREAS, Legal protections apply when the target is a member of a protected status group except in same-sex and same-race harassment which accounts for 61% of bullying, which accounts for a legal loophole; and

WHEREAS, It is important that Illinois promote the health, safety, and welfare of Illinois employees; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that an Illinois Legislative Task Force on Workplace Bullying is created, to consist of 8 members of the Illinois General Assembly appointed as follows: 2 members of the Senate appointed by the Senate President, one of whom shall serve as co-chairman; 2 members of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; 2 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall serve as co-chairman; and 2 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; all Task Force members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the mission of the Illinois Legislative Task Force on Workplace Bullying shall be to examine: (1) the prevalence and impact of workplace bullying on Illinois private sector employees to include, but not be limited to, physical and psychological health, economic security, work and family relationships; (2) the barriers faced by private sector employers, both for-profit and not-for-profit, who employ individuals who engage in intentional abusive conduct such as increased turnover, lost productivity through absenteeism, worker's compensation and disability insurance claims, and corporate recruitment and retention as related to workplace bullying; and (3) incentives to businesses who implement policies and procedures to prevent and respond to the mistreatment of employees at work; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Legislative Task Force on Workplace Bullying shall receive administrative support from the Department of Human Services, may employ skilled experts with the approval of the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, and shall report its findings to the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2010.