Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has signed a new bill that expands workplace protections for healthcare providers and their staff and families. It makes battery or threats against healthcare workers a class H felony. Protections apply to employees who work at settings including nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and homes, community-based residential facilities. The bill went into effect on March 25, 2022.
A Coalition of Wisconsin Health Care Organizations expressed support for the bill. The group observed at in 2018 alone, 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries/illnesses affected healthcare staff. The number of injuries to these workers has increased significantly in recent years. “This trend has surely become all the more detrimental over the past two years, where we have seen unprecedented stress and pressure on our health systems and workers,” said the Coalition in written testimony. The group stressed, “Healthcare workers should not be afraid to go to work. They work every day to provide excellent patient care, achieve quality outcomes, and make a positive difference in people’s lives. They don’t expect to be victims of verbal abuse from patients, family members, visitors, or coworkers.”
