Why this Bill Is Needed:

 

This Bill is needed for the following reasons:

 

 

The economic and social well-being of Colorado and the US in general is dependent upon healthy and productive employees.

 

A significant number of employees will directly experience health-endangering workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment during their working lives.

 

Workplace bullying, mobbing, and harassment can inflict serious harm upon targeted employees, society and employers.  This may include but is not limited to:

• Feelings of shame

• humiliation

• Severe anxiety

• Depression

• Suicidal tendencies,

• Impaired immune systems

• Hypertension

• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease

• Symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder

• Destruction of the employees reputation and career

• Increased employee mistakes leading to product or performance failures that could cost the lives of those served!

• Serious consequenes for employers

  • Reduced employee productivity

  • Reduced moral

  • Higher turnover

  • Higher Absenteeism rates

  • Increase in medical and worker's compensation claims

  • increase liability for employee mistakes

 

 

A mistreated employee who has been subjected to abusive treatment at work may not necessarily be able to establish that the abusive behavior was motivated by race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or age and it may be unlikely to be protected by the law against such mistreatment.  This type of abuse is status blind!

 

Existing workers’ compensation plans and common-law tort actions are inadequate to discourage this behavior or to provide adequate relief to employees who have been harmed by abusive work environments.

 

This bill helps to provide legal relief for employees where current laws are inadequate.

 

Greater incentive is needed for employers to respond to and prevent abusive mistreatment of employees at work.

 

To provide sound definitions and descriptions for what constitutes abusive bullying and mobbing behavior.

 

To provide legal incentive for employers to prevent and respond to abusive mistreatment of employees at work.