Significant changes to labor legislation are being prepared in Poland, which strengthen the accountability of employers for workplace bullying. Even internal audits and the declared opposition to psychological pressure will no longer exempt companies from civil liability. This is reported by inPoland.
The relevant amendments have been made to the draft changes to the Labor Code and the Civil Procedure Code, which were submitted for consideration by the Council of Ministers in February. The new version of the document removed the provision that allowed employers to avoid liability in cases of demonstrating due diligence in combating workplace bullying.
Strengthening accountability for bullying
Previously, an employer could be exempted from liability if they demonstrated active and systematic opposition to bullying, except in cases where the victim was a subordinate of the bully. This possibility is no longer present in the current version of the bill.
Legislators have explicitly stated:
- internal anti-bullying procedures;
- formal company policies;
- lack of information about the employee's misconduct
All of this will not protect the employer from lawsuits by victims.
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New rules for employers in Poland
Lawyers point out that bullying most often arises in relationships between managers and subordinates, where the employee has no means to protect themselves. In their opinion, a model of joint liability between the employer and managers for inappropriate behavior would be more effective.
The proposed changes mean stricter risks for businesses and increase the legal protection of employees, including foreigners working in Poland.
Previously, we wrote about what conditions employers are obliged to provide to their employees in Poland.