Bill > S1472

This bill aims to provide safeguards for home healthcare workers. The key provisions include: 1. Requiring home healthcare employers to provide annual comprehensive workplace safety training to all home healthcare workers, including methods for reporting incidents and filing criminal charges. 2. Mandating that home healthcare employers develop and implement a program to minimize the danger of workplace violence, including conducting safety assessments of home settings before providing services and equipping workers with communication devices and alarms. 3. Allowing home healthcare workers to refuse to provide services in situations where they genuinely believe an imminent danger exists, without facing loss of compensation or disciplinary action. 4. Requiring home healthcare employers to designate a senior manager responsible for an in-house crisis response team to support victims of workplace violence. 5. Establishing penalties for home healthcare employers who violate workplace safety rules and protections against retaliation for workers who report safety concerns. 6. Providing up to 7 days of paid leave for home healthcare workers who are victims of assault or assault and battery in the line of duty, and requiring employers to keep such information confidential. 7. Allowing home healthcare workers who are victims of assault or assault and battery to use their employer's or labor union's address for certain legal proceedings.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1472