Writer Colleen O’Dea at NJ Spotlight takes a detailed look at what’s in the report that spurred Gov. Phil Murphy’s call for an anti-harassment legislative mandate earlier this week.
The report, “Preventing and Eliminating Sexual Harassment in New Jersey,” says New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination, already considered one of the strongest in the nation, does not cover all workers and that the standard an individual must meet to prove a hostile work environment is also vague and needs clarification.
“Despite state and federal laws banning sexual harassment, the practice is rampant, according to the report,” O’Dea writes. “It cites one study that found 81% of women and 43% of men experienced at least some form of harassment during their lifetimes and that 90% of those who experience workplace harassment never report it. Fear of retribution, including loss of a job, is the main reason experts say people don’t report harassment.”
