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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 5, 2018 10:10 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Christopher M. Rabb |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Amending the PA Human Relations Act to Protect Interns |
Discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace harassment permeate workplaces across the country. Despite efforts to increase protections for workers, interns remain among the most vulnerable and least protected under workplace harassment laws. Often working long hours for little to no money, interns are working hard to build a successful career, yet they can become easy targets because of their age, low rank in office settings, and because they often lack knowledge about their employment rights. As interns may not have established relationships with other employees, it can be difficult for them to find advocates or seek assistance when they experience discrimination or harassment at work. These young adults are our children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews and our laws must be changed to afford them the same workplace protections as other employees. My legislation amends the PA Human Relations Act to protect interns and ensure increased training is provided to employees and supervisors to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace. By doing this, we can ensure that interns can start their careers with positive work experiences and we can prevent predatory harassment young people often encounter. All employees should be protected regardless of their field of work or the size of their employer. Please join me in supporting this important legislation to protect interns and to raise awareness about discrimination and harassment through workplace training. |
Introduced as HB2282