Bill > S00575

This bill establishes a civil cause of action for employees who are subjected to an abusive work environment. The key provisions include: 1. Defining "abusive conduct" as repeated verbal abuse, threatening or humiliating behavior, or undermining an employee's work performance, with an aggravating factor if the conduct exploits an employee's known illness or disability. 2. Establishing that an "abusive work environment" exists when an employer or employee, with intent to cause distress, subjects an employee to abusive conduct that causes physical or psychological harm. 3. Holding employers vicariously liable for abusive conduct by their employees, unless the employer took reasonable care to prevent and correct such behavior and the employee unreasonably failed to take advantage of the employer's remedies. 4. Allowing individual employees to be liable for abusive conduct, unless they committed the violation at the direction of the employer under threat of adverse employment action. 5. Providing various remedies for violations, including injunctions, reinstatement, lost wages, medical expenses, emotional distress damages, and attorney fees. The bill aims to provide legal protection and redress for employees suffering from abusive work environments, even if the conduct is not based on a protected characteristic, in order to promote healthy and productive workplaces.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S575