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Many people are verbally abused or humiliated and suffer harassment in the workplace, but only certain abuse is illegal. Abuse is illegal in New Jersey only where it is based on an employee’s sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, national origin, marital status, gender identity, or ancestry. Harassment that is not based on these “protected traits” is unfair, but it is not yet illegal. New Jersey Assembly bill A-673, called the Healthy Workplaces Act, is pending in the New Jersey legislature. The bill would outlaw other forms of abuse or bullying. Unfortunately, the bill has only sixteen co-sponsors and is unlikely to become law. Until then, the “bully boss” is safe to abuse subordinates so long as avoids doing it due to a protected trait.
For more information, read Workplace Harassment in New Jersey: Illegal or Just Mean.
February 24, 2010 Paul Castronovo, Esq. – Castronovo & McKinney, LLC – NJ Harassment Attorneys