New Law Protects Hospital Workers From Violence On The Job

PROVIDENCE, RI — Hospital workers have more protections from harassment and violence while on the job, thanks to a bill recently signed into law in Rhode Island.

Under the legislation, hospital employees now have established procedures to file complaints with the hospital or Department of Health in the event of an assault or other illegal behavior that happens on hospital grounds. It also requires that individual hospitals develop plans to respond to violence, ensure employee safety and implement safety trainings for employees.

"The front-line workers at hospitals — particularly during the pandemic — put themselves at great risk every day at work for the sake of public health and safety," said Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, the bill's Senate sponsor. "Unfortunately, violence and harassment can be among those dangers, particularly for those who work in psychiatric settings. Protecting hospital workers to the greatest possible extent, and ensuring that all incidents of violence or harassment are properly reported and responded to, is critical."

The new law, signed by Gov. Dan McKee July 9, will go into effect Jan. 15, 2022.

The United Nurses and Allied Professionals, the union representing nurses, technologists, therapists, pharmacists, mental health workers and support staff, told lawmakers that physical and mental abuse has been on the rise. Most of the time, these incidents go unreported and are never addressed. A survey of union members working in hospitals found that nearly half of units had an incident that required intervention by the police. About 64 percent of members said they sometimes felt unsafe at work, while about 68 percent said they had personally witnessed violence while on the job.

"Our brave and hardworking hospital employees deserve as much protection as we can provide," said House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian, the House sponsor. "While they may selflessly accept that their jobs have inherent risks, there still needs to be strong policies that minimize those risks, and structures in place to protect them and respond swiftly and fairly to situations where they have been hurt, threatened or put in danger. Every hospital employee has a human right to safety, security and protection at work."