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Bill

S 1316

Relates to the safe operation and maintenance of all elementary and secondary school science laboratories

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brad Hoylman-Sigal and 1 co-sponsor

Mandates employers implement a duty of care to prevent and respond to workplace bullying, with written policies, training, investigations, and remedial measures.

REFERRED TO EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 1316

Summary — S.1316 (Healthy Workplace Act / Employer Duty of Care)

Note: The bill text provided (titled the “Healthy Workplace Act”) addresses workplace bullying and employer duties. The original short title you provided (about school science labs) does not match the bill text. This summary reflects the bill text submitted (creating Chapter 149B of the Massachusetts General Laws).

Purpose

To establish an enforceable employer “duty of care” requiring reasonable preventive and responsive actions to protect employees from workplace bullying and to prohibit retaliation against employees who exercise rights under the chapter. The statute frames workplace bullying as a public-health and workplace-productivity problem not limited to discrimination based on protected class.

Key provisions

  • Creates a new Chapter 149B — “The Healthy Workplace Act” — to be inserted after Chapter 149A of the Massachusetts General Laws.
  • Legislative findings: documents health and economic harms of workplace bullying and the inadequacy of existing remedies when conduct is not motivated by protected-class status.
  • Employer duty of care (Section 3):
    • Employers must safeguard employees from “workplace bullying.”
    • Employers satisfy the duty by adopting reasonable preventive and responsive measures.
  • Required preventive measures (examples listed):
    • Adopt written policies and procedures to prevent, report, and respond to workplace bullying.
    • Disseminate to all employees a policy including a definition aligned with the chapter, employee rights, and reporting procedures.
    • Provide annual employee training and education about workplace bullying.
  • Required responsive measures (examples listed):
    • Conduct good-faith investigations of reports/claims.
    • Comply with the employer’s own policies and procedures.
    • Offer remedial measures to affected employees (text truncated before full list).
  • Definitions provided include: “workplace bullying,” “abusive work environment,” “adverse employment action,” “constructive discharge,” “retaliation,” “psychological harm,” and “physical harm.”
    • “Abusive work environment” is defined by severity, nature, frequency; includes repeated verbal abuse, threats, defamation, work sabotage, orchestrated ostracism, and relevant online/off-site conduct. Exploiting known illnesses/disabilities is an aggravating factor.
    • “Constructive discharge” requires employer awareness and failure to stop bullying prior to resignation.

Who would be affected

  • Employers across the Commonwealth and their employees (statewide application implied by insertion into state law).
  • Human resources, legal/compliance departments, and labor-management policymakers would need to implement or update policies, training, reporting and investigative processes.
  • Employees would gain statutory recognition of protections from abusive workplace environments even when conduct is not tied to protected-class discrimination.

Procedural status / timeline (as provided)

  • Introduced in the Senate: 04/07/2025 (presented by Sen. Paul R. Feeney; petition also lists Senators Michael O. Moore and Edward J. Kennedy).
  • Referred to multiple committees in the provided record (Labor & Workforce Development; Judiciary; Education references also appear).
  • Hearing scheduled: 06/18/2025 (1:00–4:00 PM).
  • Committee on Judiciary reported with amendment; placed on Senate Legislative Calendar (General Orders) as Calendar No. 82 (05/20/2025).
  • Reported favorably and referred to Senate Ways & Means (10/02/2025) per the legislative actions listed.

Potential impacts

  • Employers: likely increased compliance costs (policy drafting, annual training, investigation procedures), potential exposure to new claims if duties are not met.
  • Employees: clearer statutory recognition of abusive work environments and potential remedies where bullying is not based on protected-class status.
  • Workplaces: potential reductions in bullying-related absenteeism, turnover and health-care costs if effectively implemented.

Limitations / outstanding items

  • The provided bill text is truncated; the excerpt ends in the middle of responsive measures. The summary therefore cannot confirm:
    • Whether a private right of action, specific remedies (damages, injunctive relief), statutory damages, penalties, administrative enforcement mechanisms, or specific standards of proof are included.
    • Effective date and transitional compliance timelines.
  • Some sponsor lists and related-bill citations in the submission appear inconsistent or drawn from other jurisdictions; authoritative sponsor and committee records should be confirmed from the official Massachusetts Legislature website for final legislative details.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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