Workplace Bullying: An Examination of Current and Proposed Anti-Harassment Legislation

Lynne Anderson and Cheryl Orr served as panelists at the National Association of Women Lawyers Ninth Annual General Counsel Institute held on November 7 & 8, 2013, at the Intercontinental Hotel in New York City. Lynne and Cheryl led a session titled Workplace Bullying: An Examination of Current and Proposed Anti-Harassment Legislation in which they discussed for attendees how to identify what types of conduct have been labeled as “workplace bullying” and the reported impact of such conduct on workforces. They also examined whether existing laws, including anti-harassment laws, offer sufficient protection – or if more legislation is needed – and what legislation has been proposed in the United States, and if there are any “lessons learned” from the anti-bullying laws that have already been enacted in Canada. Lynne and Cheryl also reviewed what measures companies can take now to limit bullying in their workplaces, even in the absence of legislation.