Write a Letter to the Editor or Op-ed
Call your local newspaper, or visit their website to determine the maximum word length for an opinion editorial (op-ed), (or Letter to the Editor if this is their preferred vehicle for the expression of opinions). Prescribed length is typically about 200 – 400 words. Then write about the issue from your point of view, asking your elected New York State Senator and Assemblymember (by name) to make the Healthy Workplace Bill their #1 priority in 2015.
The League of Women Voters has an excellent web site to determine your NYS Assemblymember and State Senator at: http://participate.lwv.org/c/8551/p/salsa/web/common/public/index.sjs
You can also use the following links from the NYS Senate and Assembly web sites which sometimes do not provide your exact legislator due to overlapping districts that cover the same zip code
You can verify who your NYS Senator is by typing in your address under the heading “Find My Senator” at this link: http://www.nysenate.gov/
To verify who your NYS Assemblymember is you can go to this link: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search
You do not have to share your personal experience, and can instead describe what happens to targets of workplace bullying in regards to their health, career and family among other possibilities. Mentioning also how a toxic work environment also adversely affects the employer is beneficial as well.
Contact the following select legislators and demand (professionally) that the Healthy Workplace Bill pass in 2014
Contact the following legislators and demand that in light of the national attention to Jonathan Martin that the Healthy Workplace Bill passes in 2014. It is obvious to those of us who have experienced workplace bullying that the Miami Dolphin organization had no interest in addressing the workplace harassment that Jonathan Martin was experiencing until he quit his job and his actions received media attention. If a multi-million dollar NFL player had to quit his job, the magnitude of the workplace bullying had to be serious.
Action is needed now. Our elected officials are in the process of deciding which bills are going to be their priority in January, so you should contact them now to tell them that the Healthy Workplace Bill should be their number one priority in 2014.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Legislative Office Building, Room 932 Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-3791 Contact using web form: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Sheldon-Silver/contact/ t Senator Dean Skelos Legislative Office Building, Room 909 Albany, New York 12247 (518) 455-3171 Email: skelos@nysenate.gov Or contact using web form: http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/dean-g-skelos/contact Senator Jeffrey D. Klein Legislative Office Building, Room 913 Albany, New York 12247 (518) 455-3595 Email: jdklein@senate.state.ny.us Or contact using web form: http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/jeffrey-d-klein/contact Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie Legislative Office Building, Room 522 Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-4800 Email: heastiec@assembly.state.ny.us Assemblyman Steve Englebright Legislative Office Building, Room 621 Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-4804 Contact using web form: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Steve-Englebright/contact/ Senator Diane J. Savino Legislative Office Building, Room 315 Albany, New York 12247 (518) 455-2437 Email: savino@senate.state.ny.us Or contact using web form: http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/diane-j-savino/contactWrite about your personal experience or write a letter of support to seek passage of the NYS Healthy Workplace Bill
Over the years NYHWA has distributed over 200 personal accounts from people who have experienced workplace bullying to our state legislators. Personal accounts can be written anonymously or in the first or third person. We ask that a personal account be no more than 5-10 pages, preferably 2-3 pages so a legislator will take the time to read it in its entirety. As we receive a personal account, we will deliver a copy to all 212 state legislators to keep the Healthy Workplace Bill at the top of the list of legislation to pass in 2014. Please denote who your State Senator and Assemblymember are so we can alert them that your personal account comes from a constituent of their district.
Create a video account of your workplace bullying experience, what it means to you or one that demands our NYS legislators pass the Healthy Workplace Bill
ABC News ran a story on workplace bullying during “Freedom from Workplace Bullies Week” which ran from October 20-26, 2013. NYHWA posted on our Facebook page that ABC News wanted people to create a short 1-2 minute video describing what they experienced and two of the videos used in the ABC television news segment came from New York State residents. The following video account was one of two from New York residents used in the piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOCycY7gYCA
We ask that personal accounts include statements of what workplace bullying means to you and/or statements demanding that our NYS legislators pass the Healthy Workplace Bill (S3863/A4965). Videos should be no more than 5 minutes in length. The following paragraphs from Vocal Software provide insights on effective video creation
| Make It EmotionalPeople engage most with video stories that connect emotionally. For example, Dove has garnered upwards of 54 million views on YouTube with its now-famous “Real Beauty Sketches” – a great example of a brand story with a valid emotional angle.
Need to showcase a feature-heavy product? You can still create a video that delights.
Kid-Proof Your Message Your script should be simple and clear enough for a six-year-old to understand. Play to video’s strength and rely on visuals – not fancy words – to get your point across. For product videos especially, use simple, short voiceover whenever possible.
Instruct Action Effective videos incite the viewer to take action. Your video should include a single, clear call to action. Invite viewers to do one thing – it could be sharing via email, tweeting, posting to Facebook or visiting your website. Clear action should be the overarching goal of your video content.
Pick Something and Stick With It Pick one message and stick with it. When script revisions and edits pass through the hands of multiple stakeholders, you face the danger of additional “bonus” messaging appearing. Don’t let this happen. Watered down, rambling messages are a video killer. |
Post your video online and send us a link to it or sendthe file to us at info@nyhwa.org and write “Personal Story Video” in the subject of your email.
As we receive a video or video link, we will contact all 212 NYS legislators that a new video from a NYS resident is available stating what your personal experience was like, what workplace bullying means to you and/or your statement demanding the Healthy Workplace Bill (S3863/A4965) is passed in 2014. If you can pass along in your email who your New York State Senator and Assemblymember is, along with your name, address, NYHWA will personally call them to let them know a constituent of theirs has spoken.
As previously stated, you can verify who your NYS Senator is by typing in your address under the heading “Find My Senator” at this link: http://www.nysenate.gov/
To verify who your NYS Assemblymember is you go to this link: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search
Thank you for considering this request to share your story.