July 7th, 2017
2017 WBI U.S. Survey: Strong Support for a New Law Against Abusive Conduct at Work
2017 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey
Support for a New Law Against Abusive Conduct At Work
Support for a New Law Against Abusive Conduct At Work
77% of Americans support a new law to address abusive conduct at work
The Workplace Bullying Institute commissioned Zogby Analytics to conduct the 2017 national scientific U.S. survey across two days in late April. The stratified random sample of 1,008 individuals represented all adult Americans. [Zogby methodology and sample details here.] It was WBI’s fourth national survey.
We used the definition of workplace bullying that matches perfectly the definition codified in the Healthy Workplace Bill. Bullying is repeated mistreatment but also “abusive conduct.” We asked American survey respondents to consider only the most serious forms of bullying.
When the 2017 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying data were collected, legislation written to address abusive conduct in American workplaces – the Healthy Workplace Bill – had been introduced in 30 states and Territories. The bill had not yet been enacted into law in its complete form.
We asked all respondents [N = 1,008] whether they supported or opposed such a law.
Wording of the Support for New Law Question: Do you support or oppose enactment of a new law that would protect all workers from repeated health-harming abusive mistreatment in addition to protections against illegal discrimination and harassment?
It is clear that the American public wants to see worker protections against abusive conduct extended beyond the anti-discrimination statutes – 77% support specific anti-bullying legislation when strongly support and somewhat support proportions are combined.
Self-described political ideology was one of the demographic variables provided by Zogby. There were 242 liberals, 314 moderates and 369 conservatives. Table 12 shows the pattern of support and opposition for the new anti-abuse workplace law. The phenomenon of bullying ignores ideological boundaries (with the possible Trump effect being the exception, see the analysis of the final question). Nevertheless, liberals and moderates showed the strongest support for the bill. It is noteworthy that two-thirds of conservatives support enacting the law against abusive conduct at work.
Gary Namie, PhD
WBI Research Director
Download the pdf version of these Support for New Law findings.
View findings related to other questions asked in the 2017 Survey.
Download the complete report of the 2017 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey.
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Tags: 2017 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, abusive conduct, Gary Namie, Healthy Workplace Bill, law enactment, state law, WBI, Workplace Bullying Institute, workplace bullying law
This entry was posted on Friday, July 7th, 2017 at 4:20 pm and is filed under Bullying-Related Research, Social/Mgmt/Epid Sciences, WBI Education, WBI Surveys & Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Passing a law is only the first step. Until victims start winning substantial settlements, no one will take the law seriously. When victims who take action are no longer regarded as “troublemakers;” when a price is extracted for post-employment slander that prevents victims from ever securing new employment; when HR Departments automatically consider the possibility of malice when contacting previous employers – then we victims of bullying will see some relief. Until then, all we have is self-imposed witness protection – changing our names and erasing our pasts from our resumes.
I want to start a workkplace bullying institute here in Northeast Wisconsin. I was just bullied while cooking as a kitchen manager by a RN at work on Sat and she physically assaulted me in the dining room in front of residents. the cops take her word over mine. of course she minimized it saying she just tapped me . She grabbed my arm and pulled me and yelled at me three times. all because I told her she had to wear a hairnet and wash and glove her hands and put on an apron to come into the kitchen etc. that is the safety and health law. she grew extremely hostile towards me inless than five minutes all because I wanted her to comply with safety standards. She felt she was above the safety standards of the kitchen because she is a RN.