OLYMPIA – Legislation to better protect employees who work in isolated environments against sexual harassment was signed into law this week.
“I have been working on addressing sexual harassment for quite some time. Protecting low-wage, isolated workers is the next step in achieving a harassment-free workplace for us all,” said Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, sponsor of Senate Bill 5258.
“Housekeepers, janitors, security guards, and other individuals working alone on the night-shift are extremely vulnerable to sexual harassment and exploitation,” Keiser said. “This bill was voted off the floor of the Senate and House in a bipartisan manner. The legislation now makes Washington one of the first states in the nation with expanded protections for isolated employees.”
The final version of SB 5258 will require certain employers that employ isolated workers to adopt a sexual harassment policy, provide mandatory sexual harassment training, provide a list of resources to employees, and provide a panic button to each isolated worker.
