Workplace bullying, harassment and cyberbullying: Are regulations and policies fit for purpose?

Over the last decade, information and communication technologies have changed the way employees work and communicate with each other. While the digitalisation of work offers many benefits, widespread access to digital devices in working life has created new forms of antisocial behaviour. This report maps national regulatory instruments aimed at counteracting antisocial behaviours at work, particularly bullying and harassment. Legislative reviews indicate that in many Member States online forms of abuse are often viewed as extensions of the traditional form of face-to-face bullying or harassment rather than as a distinct phenomenon requiring separate regulation. Some countries have amended existing legislation to include cyberbullying and online harassment. This report reviews to what extent such online conduct is regulated in EU Member States and Norway. As regulatory change is generally prompted by a certain level of policy debate, the report also explores national-level debates and whether there is empirical evidence documenting the issue or that potentially indicate a rise in the phenomenon.