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Survivors and researchers press lawmakers to enact workplace psychological‑safety law
Summary
A long roster of workers, medical professionals, HR leaders and academics urged passage of the Workplace Psychological Safety Act (S.1291/S.1347 and related bills) to create employer duties to prevent and remediate bullying and other psychological harm on the job.
Boston — Dozens of current and former employees, clinicians and researchers told the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development on June 18 that workplace bullying and mobbing cause long‑term physical and mental harm and that Massachusetts should adopt a statutory duty of care to prevent and respond to psychological abuse.
Supporters described a range of harms linked to prolonged workplace abuse, including post‑traumatic symptoms, cardiovascular risk and suicidality, and said existing civil‑rights and tort remedies leave many targets without recourse. Witnesses urged passage of legislative packages that include S.1291/S.1347 and related proposals, which would require employers to adopt policies, provide training, set up reporting and investigation procedures, and create liability for employers that fail to prevent or remedy abusive work environments.
Claire Hunt, a researcher who runs a well‑trafficked YouTube channel on workplace bullying, described the phenomenon as a public‑health crisis that “shaves years off your life.” Professor David Yamada of Suffolk University Law School, the author of earlier healthy‑workplace bills, urged a duty‑of‑care approach that emphasizes prevention and early intervention while reserving litigation as a remedy when employers “drop the ball completely.”
Many witnesses gave first‑person testimony describing career‑ending, health‑ending, and life‑altering effects. Jacqueline Garner, a former behavioral health clinic employee, said her supervisor publicly berated and retaliated against her after she raised patient‑safety concerns; she described a prolonged decline in mental health. Keisha Kelly and other witnesses described long periods of intimidation, harassment and subsequent physical illness linked to their workplace experiences.
Human resources professionals and employers who testified said strong policies alone are insufficient if managers and leadership do not enforce them. Several HR witnesses said anti‑bullying laws would give those in HR stronger backing to act when leadership resists remediation.
Opponents raised concerns about potential litigation and the need to preserve employers’ ability to discipline and manage staff for legitimate business reasons; supporters said carefully drafted bills can distinguish reasonable managerial actions from abusive behavior.
Ending: Witnesses urged lawmakers to pass legislation that balances prevention, employer flexibility and employee remedies; no final action was taken during the hearing.
