HR0222 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0222 LRB100 11956 MST 23797 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Violence in the workplace stemming from a domestic partner of an employee is disturbing and costly; and

WHEREAS, The unfortunate reality for many victims of domestic abuse that manage to leave their abuser is that they are still able to be tracked down at their place of employment; and

WHEREAS, Data on domestic violence shows that during the few months after a breakup the potential victim is at the greatest risk of suffering from an act of violence from a former partner; and

WHEREAS, Employees need reasonable accommodations from their employers in order to minimize the risk to the employee from a former domestic partner as well as the risk of violence to other employees; and

WHEREAS, Many employers have well-developed security plans in place to protect employees from risks, including the risk of a domestic partner entering the workplace with an intent to inflict violence; and

WHEREAS, A dangerous communications gap often exists in which the employee who is aware of the danger from a former domestic partner does not share this information with the employer because he or she does not want to face retaliation from the employer; and

WHEREAS, Current State law protects employees from employer retaliation due to disclosing a potential risk of workplace violence from a current or former domestic partner; and

WHEREAS, This statutory protection is not widely known or understood; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Labor currently has statutory authority to issue a posting requirement to inform employees and employers of this statutory right to disclose the existence of a risk of workplace violence without retaliation of any kind pursuant to 820 ILCS 180, but to date has not chosen to issue a posting requirement with that language; and

WHEREAS, If the Department of Labor were to issue a revised posting requirement with clear language that informs employers and employees of the right to disclose the risk of workplace violence due to a current or former domestic partner without any retaliation, more employees would likely disclose to their employers the risk they are facing and more employers could take necessary precautions to protect their employees from the risk of violence; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Department of Labor to issue revised posting requirements that clearly and unambiguously inform employers and employees of the legal prohibition on retaliation or firing of any employee who discloses the existence of a current or former domestic partner that represents a threat of workplace violence in order to help save lives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Department of Labor Acting Director Anna Hui.