The Employer Has the Right to Demand Proper Work — When It Is Not Mobbing

The employer has the right to require the employee to properly perform their job duties, as well as to change the workplace, position, or salary size in accordance with the law. Such actions are not considered mobbing (harassment) if carried out in accordance with legislation, collective agreements, or employment contracts.

To avoid misunderstandings in work collectives and prevent cases of mobbing, employers must comply with the provisions of Article 29 of the Labor Code of Ukraine.

In particular, before starting work, the employer is obliged to inform the employee in an agreed manner about:

1) the place of work (information about the employer, including its location), the labor function the employee is obliged to perform (position and list of job duties), the start date of work;

2) the designated workplace, provision of necessary work tools;

3) rights and obligations, working conditions;

4) the presence of hazardous and harmful production factors at the workplace that have not yet been eliminated, and possible consequences of their impact on health, as well as the right to benefits and compensations for work under such conditions according to legislation and collective agreements – under signature.

Note that mobbing, or systematic psychological harassment of employees in the workplace, most often occurs in sectors with strict hierarchy and high stress levels.

The State Labor Service emphasizes that mobbing most often arises in collectives where an authoritarian management style prevails, there is no clear communication or division of responsibilities, high competition for resources or positions exists, and management does not respond to minor conflicts, allowing them to escalate into systematic harassment.

According to the agency, mobbing is most common in education and healthcare, where employees work under significant emotional stress and traditionally hierarchical management structures.

The service and retail sectors are also at risk. The fast pace of work and constant interaction with clients and colleagues often become grounds for conflicts.

The State Labor Service notes that cases of mobbing are often recorded in the public sector as well. Institutions with bureaucratic structures more frequently become places where psychological pressure from management occurs.

Special attention is paid to cybermobbing during remote work. About 32% of employees working remotely face harassment through digital communication channels — messengers, email, or video conferences.

It should be noted that mobbing in the workplace is not just a conflict between employees or a tense atmosphere at work. It involves systematic psychological humiliation, pressure, harassment, or creation of unbearable working conditions that can affect not only a person's professional activity but also their mental and physical health.

If an employee becomes a victim of mobbing, it is recommended to act consistently and start primarily by collecting evidence.

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