Will Labor Courts Be Flooded: Anti-Bullying Law Takes Effect with Minimum Compensation at 6x the National Minimum Wage

New anti-mobbing regulations set to take effect simplify the definition of workplace harassment, raise minimum compensation for victims, and mandate clear internal procedures for employers.

New Anti-Bullying Regulations Set to Transform Workplaces

The amendment to the Labor Code and the Code of Civil Procedure was announced in the Journal of Laws on August 4, 2026. The regulations will enter into force three months after publication, on November 5, 2026, introducing a new definition of mobbing alongside updated rules for countering discrimination and unequal treatment in employment. Employers will be granted an additional six months from the law’s entry into force, practically until early May 2027, to adapt their internal regulations.

Simplified Definition of Workplace Harassment

A key change involves simplifying the definition of mobbing, which will primarily constitute persistent harassment of an employee. It will no longer be necessary to prove that the actions led to consequences such as a diminished assessment of professional suitability, public ridicule, or health deterioration. The repetitive, recurring, or continuous harassment itself will be the decisive factor, taking various forms.

Harassment Extends Beyond Direct Superiors

Crucially, the regulations emphasize that mobbing does not have to originate exclusively from a superior. Perpetrators can also include co-workers, peers, subordinates, groups of individuals, or even persons performing work on a basis other than an employment contract.

Clear Boundaries Against False Accusations

The new regulations aim to protect individuals experiencing harassment while limiting the risk of false accusations. Legitimate employee performance reviews, objective work criticism expressed in an appropriate form, or enforcing deadlines and addressing errors will not be considered mobbing. The boundary is crossed when such actions escalate into persistent harassment, humiliation, or intimidation.

Examples and Legal Recourse for Victims

The law outlines an exemplary catalog of behaviors indicating mobbing, leaving the list non-exhaustive to allow courts to recognize other persistent harassing actions. For instance, an employee facing daily offensive comments, public criticism by a boss, uncommunicated task removal, and subsequent accusations of underperformance over several months can more easily pursue claims without proving severe health deterioration.

Higher Mandatory Compensation for Victims

The amendment strengthens the position of mobbing victims by establishing a minimum compensation equal to six times the minimum wage, addressing both professional setbacks and damages to mental health, family relations, and daily functioning.

Mandatory Preventive Procedures for Employers

Employers placing high emphasis on prevention must actively counter mobbing and discrimination. Companies employing at least 10 people must define rules and procedures within internal documents like work regulations or anti-mobbing codes. Smaller employers with fewer than 10 staff are exempt from formal documentation but must still counteract these phenomena and communicate relevant rules.

Systematic Prevention, Detection, and Remediation

The framework introduces a systematic anti-mobbing model requiring employers to take preventive, detective, remedial, and supportive measures to swiftly address and mitigate the effects of harassment.

Provisions Covering Ongoing Harassment Situations

The new regulations also encompass discrimination—including association-based and assumption-based discrimination—and apply retroactively to situations that began before the law’s enactment and continued afterward, granting protection to employees facing prolonged undesired behaviors.