Empire Information Services: News Story
News from New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF)

For more information: Darcy Wells, Director of Public Relations, 518-785-1900, Ext. 277 or 518-859-1274

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IS CRIPPLING STATE WORKERS AND COSTING TAXPAYERS MILLIONS

PEF demands protections through new Stop Workplace Violence Campaign

ALBANY, NY — (05/08/2006; 1145)(EIS) — The New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) is calling on state lawmakers and the governor to protect state employees, the people they provide care to and the public by passing the “Stop Workplace Violence” bills.

“Our members need to be able to finish their work without their work finishing them,” said PEF President Roger Benson. Getting kicked, punched or even murdered is not part of the job.”

PEF has invested more than a quarter million dollars on training, education and advertising aimed at getting three bills passed.

One bill requires public employees to implement workplace violence prevention programs. The Judi Scanlon bill, named after a PEF member who was murdered by a patient while conducting a home visit in Buffalo in 1998, requires safeguards for mental health workers doing home visits. And, the workplace injury disclosure and accountability bill provides through the Department of Civil Service an annual report on state employees injuries and related costs to help agencies create prevention strategies.

“Workplace violence is an increasingly visible element in today’s workplaces,” said Senator Nicholas Spano sponsor of the workplace violence prevention bill. “This bill would require employers to evaluate the potential risks that exist within their workplaces, and implement programs to prevent violence. These procedures will ensure that employees are working in a safe environment, a right of every employee.”

My God is there anything they don’t want us to pay for… For every problem they have a program that the taxpayers need to pay for.. If a patient is violent, why is he being supplied a home in the first place. One of the major problems we have is the release of mental health patients into the general population, they are given a home/apt that we pay for, utilities paid, food paid and visits from mental health care professionals.

Many of these people should not be out on their own, but in todays society everyone deserves to be out. I know, I lived beside one of the outpatients for a year. He actually admitted to a murder he did not commit so he could get attention, the guy was starving for attention and friends. He should never have been on his own.