Unacceptable levels of harassment in the workplace

At least 50% of women are estimated to have suffered from some form of bullying, mobbing, harassment or violence at work in Hungary. In most cases, the victims would rather leave their workplaces than contact the Equal Treatment Authority. Furthermore, Hungarian legislation does not contain a definition of sexual harassment or harassment in the workplace, and therefore it is almost impossible to take legal action in such cases.

Research on the issue

No comprehensive studies have been carried out in Hungary on the issue of [harassment in the workplace](/search/node/areas OR industrialrelations OR dictionary OR definitions OR harassmentintheworkplace?oldIndex). Nevertheless, reports and data from the Equal Treatment Authority (Egyenlő Bánásmód Hatóság, EBH), as well as victim testimonies, are available to assess the situation.

EBH, a governmental institution, has been operating since 2005. Its experience shows that most cases of harassment are difficult to prove because the alleged victims are afraid to come forward and do not want to recall their experiences. Although harassment is often believed to be exclusively sexual in nature, it can take other forms, such as bullying or mobbing. According to EBH, every second female worker has been harassed in the workplace in Hungary, with the victims mainly ranging between 17 and 30 years of age. Reports and experience show that, in 40% of cases, the boss is the perpetrator while, in another 10% of cases, the boss or colleagues are responsible. In 20% of cases, a colleague is the perpetrator and, in 20% of cases, the harassment stems from a group of colleagues. In 50% of the cases, the harassment involves verbal aggression and, in 10% of cases, it includes physical violence.

Combating harassment

Commentators believe that it would be in everyone’s interest to prevent these incidents. Across Europe, harassment can also have negative economic consequences in terms of staff turnover, higher work absence rates and reduced productivity. In April 2007, therefore, employers and trade union representatives at European level concluded and signed a Framework agreement on harassment and violence at work (5Mb PDF), aiming to combat the problem (EU0705019I).

Lack of legislation

A further obstacle in intensifying the fight against harassment in the workplace in Hungary is that there is no dedicated piece of legislation dealing with harassment. For example, no legal definition of sexual harassment exists. The only act which deals with this subject is Act CXXV of 2003 on equal treatment and promotion of equal opportunities (183Kb PDF). In theory, the perpetrator has to prove their innocence, but in practice EBH’s task is to gather as much evidence and as many testimonies as possible.

Experience indicates that both judges and lawyers are uninformed in this field. Lawyers often persuade the victims not to take any legal action because they do not have enough experience themselves in this area.

In 2004, for the first time in Hungary, an employee made a public complaint about sexual harassment in the workplace. The complaint came from a secretary working in the Government Office for Equal Opportunities (Egyenlő Esélyek Titkársága). The case was investigated and the former human resources (HR) director, against whom the complaint had been made, was found not guilty. The secretary was subsequently fined HUF 1 million (€4,324 as at 9 July 2008).

Commentary

Reports and studies from other post-communist countries indicate that sexual harassment, although seldom identified as such, is widespread. Moreover, it is unlikely that legal protection will immediately change the deeply rooted attitudes and social climate in the countries of central and eastern Europe. Despite the fact that almost all women are in paid employment outside the home, they are still expected to take care of household duties and child rearing. The persistence of stereotypical perspectives and pressures can add to the complexity of attempting to address unacceptable behaviours.

References and further information

EBH website

EurActiv, European Union Information Website, ‘Harassment at work – social partners reach agreement’, 27 April 2007, available online at: http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/harassment-work-social-partners-reach-agreement/article-163421

For further information at European level, see the topic report Violence, bullying and harassment in the workplace (TN0406TR01) and the report Preventing violence and harassment in the workplace.

Máté Komiljovics, Institute for Political Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences