Letter to the Hon. Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Hon. Amy Klobuchar, Ranking Member - Grassely Wants Senate to Use Trainings as Step in Fight Against Workplace Harassment

Letter

Dear Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Klobuchar:

In 1995, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA). This act required Congress and its associated agencies to follow the same civil rights, labor, workplace safety, and health laws that applied to other government agencies. Although the CAA did not mandate that Congressional offices provide sexual harassment training to all new employees, my understanding is that many personal offices require their staff to participate in sexual harassment training provided by the Office of Compliance for the United States Congress (OOC). But as this training is not mandatory, some may not be receiving it.

I am convinced that sexual harassment training is vitally important to maintaining a respectful and productive working environment in Congress. Therefore, I respectfully request that the Committee on Rules and Administration consider the immediate implementation of a policy requiring all new Senate employees--including permanent and temporary Senate staff, interns, fellows, and detailees--to undergo online or in-person sexual harassment training provided by the OOC, as well as all current employees who have not yet received it.

Last year, on July 14, 2016, the Committee on Rules and Administration distributed a letter requiring all Senate employees to complete Cybersecurity Awareness Training in an effort to protect the Senate's hardware, network, and data. I believe a similar letter could announce a new policy about mandatory sexual harassment training.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely Yours,

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