SB 407 requires the adoption of a sexual harassment policy for state employees, including legislators and lobbyists, to undergo sexual harassment training. On November 7th, 2017, this bill was approved and sent to the governor’s desk for consideration.
Sexual harassment is not exclusive to Hollywood or politics. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, almost one third of the approximately 90,000 charges received by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in fiscal year 2015 included an allegation of workplace harassment. [1]
Thank you to those in Springfield who came forward about their experiences with sexual harassment and to the hundreds of Illinoisans who signed the open letter demanding that we do better to end sexual harassment.
This step forward shows survivors and the community that institutions care about this issue and it will be taken seriously, so less and less of us can say “me too.”
[1] Key findings of the Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace.(2017). National Sexual Violence Resource Center.