Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism
CT VIEWPOINTS -- opinions from around Connecticut

Employers are the key to developing workplace harassment solutions

  • CT Viewpoints
  • by Robin Imbrogno and Thomas F. Curtin, Jr.
  • April 25, 2018
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

The workplace is shifting, and it’s clear that what has been tolerated in the past will no longer be acceptable. That’s a good thing. Everyone deserves to work in an environment where they feel safe, and employers must be part of the solution.

As it stands now, Connecticut is a leader in creating safe workplaces. Our sexual harassment prevention training laws are some of the most stringent in the nation, and we should all be proud of that.

Connecticut is one of just three states that require private sector employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training, mandating it for supervisors at companies with 50 or more employees.

Two legislative proposals make dramatic changes to that requirement.

Gov. Dannel Malloy’s bill, HB 5043, now awaiting action in the state House, requires businesses with 15 or more employees to train all employees every five years, meaning about 1 million Connecticut workers will need training.

Senate Democrats crafted another bill, SB 132, that sets similar requirements but drops the threshold and mandates any business with three or more employees train all employees.

Training is expensive, with per-employee costs ranging from $100-$150. Complying with HB 5043 and SB 132 could cost Connecticut’s private sector over $100 million in new training costs alone.

Costs and administrative burdens aside, a more troubling component of SB 132 is the removal of certain protections for companies that strive to create a safe, harassment-free work environment.

Current state law provides affirmative defenses for companies that have policies against sexual harassment, train their employees, properly investigate any claim of harassment, take immediate corrective action, and prevent retaliation.

In other words, if an employee harasses a colleague and the company does all the right things —has a policy in place, investigates the claim, takes corrective action, and prevents retaliation— the business faces no liability.

However, under SB 132, if another employee later does the same thing —even if the company takes all the right steps afterwards— the business is strictly liable if a judge or the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities decides that those two incidents comprise a pattern.

This creates a no-win situation for employers, especially those who go through incredible effort and expense to provide a safe workplace.

Everyone agrees that workplace harassment prevention is good policy. We need to strike a balance to make safe work environments an attainable goal for all employers. That means it is critical that lawmakers find the right solution in addressing issues currently making headlines around the country.

It is equally important for the legislature to understand that Connecticut employers support safe work environments and are already doing our part to find solutions.

Lawmakers must also ensure any changes to current law do not bring severe and costly consequences for businesses, particularly smaller employers.

We want all our colleagues to be protected from harmful and abusive environments.

We want to make changes now so no one will have to experience anything like others before them.

Sexual harassment is a serious problem, but the solutions outlined in current proposals are too vast and too expensive for Connecticut businesses, particularly small businesses.

Robin Imbrogno is President, COO and Founder of The Human Resource Consulting Group, LLC. Thomas F. Curtin, Jr., is Corporate Director, Human Resources of Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Enriching the already rich — it’s been the American way.
by David Holahan

There are supposed to be two certainties in life: death and taxes. Here's a 2021 corollary: As the rich get richer and richer, they pay less and less into the U.S. Treasury. It’s no joke, my fellow 1040 filers. A recent study by economists and the IRS found that the richest Americans —yes, those infamous one-percenters— have been cheating on their taxes to the collective tune of at least $175 billion a year.

There is no equity without standardized race, ethnicity and language data
by The Rev. Robyn Anderson

Over a year into a pandemic that has cost the lives of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color at rates that are unjust and preventable, we cannot allow ourselves or our state to continue to use the word “equity” without the data to show policies really are addressing injustice. We all know the disparities aren’t about race; they’re about racism.

Baseball is still a civil rights battleground
by Steve Thornton

For over 150 years, the baseball field has been a battleground for civil rights. Bigoted politicians like Texas governor Greg Abbott are still fighting the Civil War — on the wrong side of history.

Getting connected for Connecticut students
by Sabrina Tucker-Barrett

There is one key to ensuring the success of Connecticut students: we must keep them connected. Whether your children are in fifth grade or freshman year, they have or will continue to learn virtually in some capacity, which means unstable Wi-Fi during class, delays in homework submission or inability to research are unacceptable.

State government health plan option threatens higher taxes, lost jobs
by William D. Moore

Our chamber and our members have come out in opposition to SB 842, legislation being considered to create a new, state-run government-controlled health insurance system in Connecticut, known as the “state government option.” While there certainly is room for improvement of Connecticut’s health care system, the state government option is the wrong path forward.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Enriching the already rich — it’s been the American way.
by David Holahan

There are supposed to be two certainties in life: death and taxes. Here's a 2021 corollary: As the rich get richer and richer, they pay less and less into the U.S. Treasury. It’s no joke, my fellow 1040 filers. A recent study by economists and the IRS found that the richest Americans —yes, those infamous one-percenters— have been cheating on their taxes to the collective tune of at least $175 billion a year.

Opinion There is no equity without standardized race, ethnicity and language data
by The Rev. Robyn Anderson

Over a year into a pandemic that has cost the lives of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color at rates that are unjust and preventable, we cannot allow ourselves or our state to continue to use the word “equity” without the data to show policies really are addressing injustice. We all know the disparities aren’t about race; they’re about racism.

Opinion Baseball is still a civil rights battleground
by Steve Thornton

For over 150 years, the baseball field has been a battleground for civil rights. Bigoted politicians like Texas governor Greg Abbott are still fighting the Civil War — on the wrong side of history.

Opinion Getting connected for Connecticut students
by Sabrina Tucker-Barrett

There is one key to ensuring the success of Connecticut students: we must keep them connected. Whether your children are in fifth grade or freshman year, they have or will continue to learn virtually in some capacity, which means unstable Wi-Fi during class, delays in homework submission or inability to research are unacceptable.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO