A group of Connecticut lawmakers and advocates gathered at the Capitol on Monday to talk about gender-based workplace harassment — and how to stop it.
The roundtable was hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“The goal is to be able to talk about where there's policies that are productive policies, and where there are either gaps or opportunities for us to work together to develop new ways of thinking or approaching gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work,” said Jill Ashton, the regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau.
According to Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz (D), there are more than 90,000 open jobs in Connecticut. She said the state’s employers are working hard to fill them, but they also need to focus on retaining their current employees.
“It's really really important that employers be informed about what the issues are, what they should be looking for, what they can do, what supports there are,” Bysiewicz
Those issues include sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting, according to participants. They also include personal issues, like domestic abuse and addiction, that can lead to interruptions at work.
“We try really hard to get the message out through town halls; talk to somebody, don't risk your job because of what's going on at home,” Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said.
Participants also discussed the benefits of paid family leave and the negatives of non-disclosure agreements for female employees.
State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) said one of the biggest problems facing Connecticut women in the workplace is non-disclosures. A bill to ban them in the last legislative session failed.
“I know the business community has had a hard time with that, because most employers want to protect the company,” Kushner said. “But it really is a serious issue in terms of how we're addressing violence and sexual harassment in the workplace.”
Ashton said she hopes the department can look at the issue of non-disclosures on a federal level.
