Worker protection bills withering on the vine, for now
(The Center Square) – A Republican-backed slate of bills focused on workplace discrimination protections in Pennsylvania will likely expire this year without action.
Even though the legislative session ends Nov. 30, lawmakers could reintroduce the bills again in January.
Of the package, House Labor and Industry Committee Minority Chairman Ryan Mackenzie, R-Macungie, said, “It’s a comprehensive set of proposals that are designed to enhance worker safety, promote fairness in the workplace, and support those who are striving to provide for their families.”
The far-reaching package touches on several issues for employees, leaving few areas of the workplace untouched.
House Bill 2000 proposes a tax credit mirroring existing federal incentives for employers to provide paid family leave, while House Bill 555 creates the opportunity for small businesses to pool their resources to provide employees affordable insurance coverage.
“By enabling small business employers to pool their resources, we can leverage group buying power to significantly reduce health care costs,” said Valerie Gaydos, R-Moon Twp., who helped sponsor the package of bills. “This is a practice already being successfully implemented in more than 30 states.”
House Bill 1906 would prohibit enforcement of pre-employment non-disclosure agreements and non-disparagement agreements between employers and employees, protecting those who choose to speak out about sexual harassment.
House Bill 2593 responds to the disturbing uptick in violence against health care workers, which has been exacerbated by understaffing and an increase in patients suffering from both mental illness and cognitive decline. The legislation would protect workers’ rights to report violent incidents to their employers and demand responses from the facilities enforced through the Department of Health.
House Bill 959 would enable the commonwealth to collect data on worker injury and illness within the public sector, a move which could raise some privacy concerns.
“Pennsylvania can do better when it comes to worker safety by identifying why and how injuries happen, and then working to fix it,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Greensburg.
“We are urging our colleagues across the aisle in the Democrat majority to join us in enacting these critical measures before the session concludes at the end of next month. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of countless Pennsylvanians,” added Mackenzie.
Whether a bipartisan acceptance of the package will prevail remains to be seen. House Bill 274 would require all public contractors and subcontractors to use the federal E-Verify system to validate their employees’ work authorization.
While some states have embraced the E-Verify system, others have balked at the potential privacy violations created by the practice of demanding additional identification for employment.
E-Verify is touted as one solution to the complex series of immigration challenges the United State is confronting. Senators like Utah Republican Mitt Romney, Ohio’s Republican vice presidential hopeful J.D. Vance, and West Virginia’s Independent Joe Manchin endorsing a nationwide mandate of the program.
Opponents say that it doesn’t just impact immigrants but is an expensive ask that could create limitations for American citizens seeking employment and employers alike, with additional stress on small businesses.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, if used nationwide “the system’s inaccuracies could mean undue obstacles to employment for hundreds of thousands of citizens.”