This newsgroup is for individuals interested in mounting a grassroots campaign in NJ that addresses workplace bullying by educating the public and by promoting the passage of legislation to deal with this unacceptable behavior.

Workplace Bullying Defined

Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms:

- verbal abuse

- threatening, humiliating or offensive behavior/actions

- work interference - sabotage - which prevents work from getting done.

Workplace Bullying: (a) is driven by perpetrators' need to control the targeted individual(s) , (b) is initiated by bullies who choose targets, timing, place and methods, (c) escalates to involve others who side with the bully, either voluntarily through coercion, and it (d) undermines legitimate business interests when bullies' personal agendas take precedence over work itself.

-Definition from the Workplace Bullying Institute.

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Current Status in the NJ Legislature

A1551, the "Healthy Workplace Act" was introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein and has been assigned to the Assembly Labor Committee. Asw. Sheila Oliver (Labor Committee member) & Asw. Valerie Vanieri Huttle have signed on as Primary Sponsors. We are waiting for a committee hearing date to be scheduled. The public may attend and testify at the hearing.

Assembly Sponsors: Greenstein, Oliver, Vanieri-Huttle, Handlin, Rodriguez, Angelini, Cruz-Perz, DeAngelo, Giblin, Spencer, Diegnan, Thompson

PLEASE JOIN US IN OUR EFFORT TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND TO COMPEL OUR STATE TO PREVENT AND CORRECT ABUSIVE WK ENVIRONMENTS BY PASSING EFFECTIVE LEGISLATION.

LINDA SEILER -- NJ Healthy Workplace Advocates, Founder -- NJ Coordinator of the Workplace Bullying Legislative Campaign