Romania officially has a law to combat harassment at work: “Employees have the right to work in an environment where they are respected”

The law initiated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity (MMSS) for the ratification of the Convention on the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment at the workplace was promulgated on Thursday, March 28, informs MMSS.

The draft law was adopted by the Senate, as a decision-making chamber, on March 4, 2024.

Convention no. 190/2019 adopted on June 21, 2019 at the 108th session of the International Labor Conference of the International Labor Organization in Geneva aims to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work.

“Employees have the right to work in an environment where they are respected regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or political orientation. We notice that there are more and more reports of harassment. It is necessary that the measures be firm, but proportional to the seriousness of these deviations. The law promulgated today creates the conditions for a working environment in which the dignity of employees is respected”, said Simona Bucura-Oprescu, Minister of Labor and Social Solidarity, according to the MMSS press release.

According to the data provided by the Labor Inspectorate, in 2023, 511 petitions regarding harassment or discrimination at work were registered. Following the checks carried out, 41 sanctions were applied, the total value of the fines being 18,000 lei. By comparison, 10 years ago, i.e. in 2014, only 137 referrals were registered.

The concept of “violence and harassment” covers, among others, physical abuse, verbal abuse, harassment and mobbing, sexual harassment, threats and stalking or surveillance.

The new legal framework protects both employees and people working regardless of their contractual status, people in training, including trainees and apprentices, workers whose employment relationship has ended, volunteers, people looking for a job and those who have applied for a job, as well as the persons who exercise the authority, duties or responsibilities of an employer.