Bill Text: CA ACR55 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: University of California: workplace bullying: supervisor

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2009-08-27 - Held under submission. [ACR55 Detail]

Download: California-2009-ACR55-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 55	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 12, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Torlakson

                        APRIL 1, 2009

   Relative to workplace bullying training at the University of
California.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 55, as amended, Torlakson. University of California: workplace
bullying: supervisor training.
   This measure would urge the University of California to provide
training to its supervisory employees regarding the prevention of
workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment by  January 1, 2010
  January 1, 2011  , and again every 2 years
thereafter.
   Fiscal committee: yes.



   WHEREAS, The social and economic well-being of the state is
dependent upon healthy and productive employees; and
   WHEREAS, Surveys and studies have documented that between 16
percent and 21 percent of employees directly experience
health-endangering workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment, and
that this behavior is three times more prevalent than sexual
harassment alone; and
   WHEREAS, Surveys and studies have documented that abusive work
environments can have serious 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 pathophysiological changes that increase the risk
of cardiovascular diseases; and
   WHEREAS, These same surveys and studies have documented that
abusive work environments can have serious consequences for
employers, including reduced employee productivity and morale, higher
turnover and absenteeism rates, and significant increases in medical
and workers' compensation claims; and
   WHEREAS, Unless mistreated employees have been subjected to
abusive treatment at work on the basis of race, color,  sex
  gender, sexual orientation  , national origin, or
age, they are unlikely to have legal recourse to redress this
treatment; and
   WHEREAS, Legal protection from abusive work environments should
not be limited to behavior grounded in protected class status, such
as is provided under employment statutes; and
   WHEREAS, Existing workers' compensation plans and common-law tort
actions are inadequate to discourage this behavior or provide
adequate redress to employees who have been harmed by abusive work
environments; and
   WHEREAS, Existing law makes certain specified employment practices
unlawful, including the harassment of an employee directly by the
employer or indirectly by agents of the employer with the employer's
knowledge; and
   WHEREAS, Existing law further requires every employer to act to
ensure a workplace free of sexual harassment by implementing certain
minimum requirements, including posting sexual harassment information
posters at the workplace and obtaining and making available an
information sheet on sexual harassment; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California
urges the University of California to provide two hours of workplace
bullying, abuse, and harassment training and education to all of its
supervisory employees by  January 1, 2010  
January 1, 2011  , and once again every two years thereafter;
and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature urges the University of California
to incorporate the workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment training
and education into the 80 hours of training provided to all new
supervisory employees pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 19995.4
of the Government Code, using existing resources; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature urges the University of California
to include practical examples in the training that are aimed at
instructing supervisors in the prevention of workplace bullying,
abuse, and harassment; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature urges that the training be
presented by trainers or educators with knowledge and expertise in
the prevention of workplace bullying; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.