New rules against violence and harassment at work

Employers in Romania will be required to apply new rules to prevent violence and harassment at work, following legislative amendments initiated by the government and endorsed by the Committee on Labour of the Romanian Senate.

According to the new provisions, companies should implement prevention mechanisms and to ensure the possibility of confidentially reporting such incidents. The rules apply both at the company’s headquarters as well as in the case of smart working, travel with colleagues and online discussions. According to the document, employers must be sure that they have a system through which acts of violence or harassment can be reported by victims confidentially and safely. Also, internal regulations must include rules to prevent these situations that employees should know in detail. Employers will have three months to comply, and those who do not comply with the new rules might be fined between 3,500 and 7,000 lei (about 700 – 1,400 Euros).

Under the law, harassment means hostile behaviour, abusive verbal remarks, as well as gestures or actions that create an intimidating or demeaning work environment. For example, distributing offensive materials with indecent content, insinuations, jokes or obscene remarks, as well as comments about the physical appearance or character of a person that cause suffering, are all examples of harassment. This also includes unwanted attention, such as spying, stalking, or phone calls and messages with sexual connotations or that invade personal life.