Results of April 20-22, 2009 Lobby Days III
1. Results of April 2009 Lobby Days III
2. Getting Involved
3. Jodie's Story
1. Results of April 2009 Lobby Days III
The New York Healthy Workplace Advocates (NYHWA) spent April 20-22, 2009 meeting
with 55 legislators or their representatives to forward the movement of Bills
A2247/S1948 and A5414/S1823. Conservatively, NYHWA expects 8-10 legislators to
sign onto one or more the bills of which Assemblyman John McEneny, Assemblyman
Rory Lancman and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal already have. NYHWA received
confirmation for successful floor votes from 8 other legislators when the Bills
get to the Assembly and Senate floor.
2. Getting Involved
NYHWA received some valuable advice to contact the following legislators to
advance Bills A2247/S1948 and A5414/S1823. Please consider writing a synopsis
of your workplace bullying experience to as many of the following legislators as
you can and ask them to pass Bills A2247/S1948 and A5414/S1823.
Your synopsis can be very brief with bulleted points highlighting the acts of
workplace bullying you experienced, the health effects you have encountered and
the outcome of the bullying situation.
Based on the advice we received, a phone call to each of the following
legislators is the second most effective process to highlight the importance of
the legislation to you and to ask for their support. NYHWA has made both the
Albany address and phone numbers available for you.
Governor David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Assemblyman Sheldon Silver
LOB 932
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-3791
Assemblywoman Sue John
LOB 522
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4527
Assemblyman Ron Canestrari
LOB 926
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4474
Assemblyman Nick Perry
LOB 704
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4166
Assemblyman Brian Kolb
LOB 933
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-3751
Assemblyman James Tedisco
LOB 446
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5772
Assemblyman Jim Hayes
444 Capitol
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4618
Office of New York State Senator Malcolm A. Smith
909 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Tel: (518) 455-2701
Senator George Onorato
310 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Tel: (518) 455-3486
Senator Neil Breslin
Capitol Building, Room 502
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2225
Senator Dean Skelos
Room 907 LOB
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-3171
Senator Kenneth LaValle
Room 707, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-3121
Senator Ruth-Hassell-Thompson
612 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-6998
3. Jodie's Story
A very brave woman from Naples, Florida came to Albany, NY at her own expense to
talk to our New York State Legislators about "Jodie's Story." Jodie was a 31
year old health care professional when she took her life due to workplace
bullying in February 2008. NYHWA has received permission from "Jodie's Legacy"
formed to highlight the abuse and health effects of workplace bulling. Please
consider sending an email to Jodies_Legacy@ymail.com and thank her for her
courage to tell her niece's story in New York State.
Sadly, Jodie's story is more common than people realize as NYHWA is aware of
many suicides by bullied targets across the country. For those interested in
the outcome of this situation, the supervisor was removed from further
supervisory duties but only reassigned to a new positition within the same
hospital. The tactic of mere transfer or removal from supervisory duties is
very common and NYHWA is aware of several employers who feel this technique when
addressing the issue is adequate to address workplace bullying that has
devastated the lives of their employees.
I would like to tell you a story of a 31 year old woman that had everything to
live for, but was unable to survive the abuse of a Workplace Bully.
A little over thirty years ago, my niece Jodie was born into an extended family
that loved and cherished her. We watched her grow from a toddler to a teenager, a college graduate, wife and mother. An accomplished, talented young woman full of energy, high ideals, of a good heart, devoted to her patients as a mammographer, and actively involved in volunteer work for the prevention of breast cancer. She had a mother who was devoted to her, a close relationship with her sister and brother. Her husband loved her. She was "Mama" to two little children.
And then there was me, an Auntie that thought the sun rose and set with her. The
listener to all of her hopes and dreams, the disappointments, and how she over came them. And in the end, the stress and tears, the conversations about work and a
supervisor that never let up, a Workplace Bully.
There are many stories of Jodie, our golden girl, but this is the story of the
last months and final days of her life.
Jodie went to the School of Radiologic Technology, University of Wisconsin,
graduating in 1998. She became a well respected mammographer at a renowned
hospital-clinic in LaCrosse, WI. She frequently received recognition from her
patients as well as "Way to Go" notes from coworkers and employees of the
hospital which were posted on the clinic's "Wall of Fame". She received positive
reviews, with high praise.
On Jodie's previous review her supervisor stated she wished she could clone
Jodie because of her professionalism and work performance. A few months after
that Jodie challenged the way an issue had been handled. A turmoil ensued. When
the issue could not be resolved, Jodie took it to the Human Resources
Department. Rather than talk to all of the parties involved, the Department
simply took a "management letter in the personnel file" approach against Jodie.
From that point forward, Jodie's supervisor never left her alone. She would
reproach her in the hallways where anyone could hear; and interrupt her lunch
break talking of issues. Jodie worked three days a week. The supervisor
frequently scheduled the staff meetings on Jodie's day off and expected her to
come in for the one-hour meeting. On at least one of her days off she would
receive a phone call from either her supervisor or one of her coworkers
reporting what the supervisor had said or implied something negative about Jodie and her
job. In all of the incidences the issues were inane and childish. Certainly not
appropriate conduct in a professional environment.
Unlike some, Jodie did not thrive on conflict or office gossip. She was at work
to do her job, and do it well. Though she worked only three days a week, her
monthly number of mammograms usually exceeded those working full time.
In an effort to escape from this menacing supervisor, Jodie had applied for 10
different positions within the hospital-clinic. Frequently she was imminently
more qualified for the position than the persons hired, but she never received an
interview. That is, until her last job application. It was the issue of being paid while at
this interview that brought about the onslaught to her final demise.
The harassment started on Thursday, Jodie's day off, when her supervisor called
her at home to challenge the hour of pay she had claimed for an off day. Jodie
explained she had been at an internal interview and was following the directions
of the Human Resources Department. Her supervisor refused to believe that was
company policy, threatening Jodie they would deal with it when she returned to
work the following day. As they did.
The next morning in Jodie's presence the supervisor called Human Resources on
the speaker phone, was told Jodie was correct about company policy, and then
argued with them that Jodie should not be paid. Once the call was finished, she
told Jodie that this wasn't over with, as she was getting her annual review on
Monday and not to expect it to be good; "her behavior would all be spelled out
and she would find out she was not liked by many people in the department."
This wounded Jodie. She felt she her work was good and she had numerous friends
within the department, who not only liked her, but respected her work.
Jodie was physically ill after this encounter, started home, and then went back
to Human Resources to resign. Rather than accept her resignation, giving up a
career that she had worked hard to achieve, she was encouraged to think it over
and give her answer on Monday, the same day her review was scheduled. In the
course of the conversation it was noted if she felt there were times when the
supervisor was behaving inappropriately to make note of them. Jodie knew that
Human Resources were already aware of many such incidences.
Arriving in Miami from a weeks cruise with my sisters, including Jodie's Mom, my
phone rang as soon as we were within cell phone range. It was Jodie calling to
tell me of the events with the Supervisor. Over the weekend Jodie spoke with
members of her family, and a coworker. She repeatedly said she just didn't think
she could face another episode with the supervisor. We all gave our advice. I
encouraged her to just stay home until she felt strong enough to face the
situation, see her family doctor to deal with her anguish and stress or call in
or notify Human Resources by mail of her final decision to resign.
Yet none of us knew or understood or were prepared for the dark place this
supervisor had driven our beloved child, niece, sister, wife, mother. Jodie
succumbed to suicide on Sunday morning.
The supervisor was removed from her duties on Monday. No further action has been
taken by the hospital administration to ensure this not happen again.
Today, family and friends, and many staffers of Advocates Against Work Place
Bullying are working towards legislation to insure a healthy workplace. There
is legislation in process in over 15 states. This detrimental phenomena is more
egregious than protected status harassment and in fact, it is 4 times more
prevalent than such
Jodie's story of workplace bullying was written by her aunt Joie.
Please continue to follow the activities of NYHWA and to give us support by writing to legislators to ask them to support active anti-bullying in the workplace legislation.
Thank you so much for your efforts!