Bill
Bill > HB863
PA HB863
Providing for legal protections from abusive work environments and for remedies.
summary
Introduced
03/11/2025
03/11/2025
In Committee
03/11/2025
03/11/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Providing for legal protections from abusive work environments and for remedies.
AI Summary
This bill, known as the Healthy Workplace Act, establishes legal protections for employees against abusive work environments in Pennsylvania. The bill defines "abusive conduct" as actions that cause physical or psychological injury, including repeated verbal abuse, threatening behavior, and undermining of work performance, with special consideration for exploiting an employee's known illness or disability. Employers are prohibited from subjecting employees to an abusive work environment and from retaliating against employees who report such conduct. The bill allows employees to seek various remedies through civil action, including reinstatement, back pay, medical expenses, damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and punitive damages. Employers can defend themselves by showing they took reasonable steps to prevent abusive conduct or that the complaint is based on legitimate performance issues. Employees may be individually liable for abusive conduct unless they were acting under threat from their employer. The bill provides a one-year statute of limitations for filing claims and does not interfere with collective bargaining agreements that offer greater protections. Importantly, the remedies in this bill are additional to those in existing laws, and the act will take effect 60 days after passage, providing a new legal framework to address workplace abuse and protect employee rights.
Committee Categories
Labor and Employment
Sponsors (15)
Pat Harkins (D)*,
Missy Cerrato (D),
Joe Ciresi (D),
Scott Conklin (D),
Gina Curry (D),
Bob Freeman (D),
José Giral (D),
Carol Hill-Evans (D),
Malcolm Kenyatta (D),
Maureen Madden (D),
Dave Madsen (D),
Steve Malagari (D),
Ben Sanchez (D),
Ben Waxman (D),
Regina Young (D),
Last Action
Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY (on 03/11/2025)
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