Labor & Employment Shareholder Gina M. Ameci Talks Workplace Bullying with Law360

Law360 recently published an article discussing how ill-defined workplace bullying laws could cause meritless employment lawsuits amidst the veto of a New Hampshire bill that was meant to address workplace bullying. The article notes that workplace bulling has been addressed in legislation in at least 26 states, but some employers worry that more legislation, especially if vague, could cause a number of employment lawsuits.

"Any legislation is just going to further clog the court system," Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Labor & Employment Shareholder Gina M. Ameci told the publication. She explained that bullying would need to be defined clearly, as it is "harassment that rises to a level that makes an employee ill or emotionally distressed," and some employees may already have claims under common law, making the need for workplace bullying laws unnecessary.

Rather than adding more legislation, Ameci suggests that employers should take steps to prevent bullying issues in the workplace. 

Read the full article – "Vague Bullying Laws Would Invite Baseless Suits, Attys Say" (Law360, August 1, 2014)