WHEREAS, healthy and productive employees are the cornerstones of successful businesses and a prosperous economy; and

WHEREAS, unfortunately, many employees are subjected to unhealthy, abusive work environments where workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment are prevalent occurrences, independent of membership in a protected group; and

WHEREAS, as a result, these employees may experience physical and psychological harm, which negatively impacts job performance and job safety, often manifesting in injuries and illnesses; and

WHEREAS, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recognizes general harassment, including workplace bullying, as a form of workplace violence; and

WHEREAS, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has defined workplace bullying as the repeated intimidation, slandering, social isolation, or humiliation by one or more persons against another; and

WHEREAS, Congress has found that employee injuries and illnesses that arise out of work situations impose a substantial burden on businesses and that these injuries and illnesses can be reduced through the establishment and enforcement of minimum health and safety standards; and

WHEREAS, accordingly, the Hawaii occupational safety and health law ensures safe and healthful working conditions for all employees throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the current protections under the law, employees need protection from the repeated health-impairing mistreatment of one person by another in order to promote safe and healthful work environments; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that all employers in Hawaii are urged to develop and implement standards of conduct and policies for managers and employees to reduce workplace bullying and to promote healthful and safe work environments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Lieutenant Governor; the President of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to all other public sector employers; the Director of Human Resources Development; the Mayor and Chairperson of the Council of each county; the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and its affiliated Chambers; the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Retail Merchants of Hawaii; the President of the Society for Human Resource Management; the President of the Hawaii Bankers Association; the Director of the National Federation of Independent Business-Hawaii; the President of the Hawaii Business League; the President of Small Business Hawaii; the President of the Hawaii Hotel Association; the President of the Maui Hotel Association; and the President of the Hawaii Business Roundtable.

Report Title:

Workplace Bullying; Standards of Conduct and Policies