In our previous newsletter issue, we informed our readers of the unanimous passage of House Bill 324 Workplace Violence Protective Order Amendments, lobbied extensively by Parsons’ Employment and Labor Co-chair and Legal Affairs Director for Salt Lake SHRM and Utah SHRM Mark D. Tolman. The bill allows employers to seek a protective order against individuals who engage in workplace violence or threaten to do so.
We’re pleased to announce that on April 11, Governor Spencer J. Cox signed the bill into law in a ceremonial signing event for a series of bills that target reducing domestic violence. In a tweet, Governor Cox summarized the bill by saying, “Everyone has the right to feel safe at work, and this bill allows victims of domestic violence and their employers to have a mechanism to report abuse and receive these protective orders.”
Tolman, who attended the signing ceremony with representatives of Salt Lake SHRM and Utah SHRM says, “Although our bill goes beyond just protecting domestic violence victims—it’s a safeguard against all forms of workplace violence—it was an honor for Governor Cox to recognize our bill today with a series of other bills targeted to reduce domestic violence. On average 1.3 million people are victims of nonfatal workplace violence every year in the United States. A rising number of states already have addressed this problem through legislation that allows an employer to seek a workplace violence protective order. That proactive remedy now is available for Utah employers too.”
Many thanks and congratulations to Mark, Salt Lake SHRM and Utah SHRM for their dedicated efforts to promote this bill that helps keep all of us safe in the workplace. Read more about this bill here.
