Members of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have officially received a written initiative from a citizens' association for the adoption of the Law on Protection Against Workplace Harassment in FBiH.
“This initiative was submitted to the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament with the aim of finally opening an institutional debate on this extremely important social issue,” stated Anica Ramić, president of the citizens’ association Stop Mobbing, which is leading this activity with the support of four other associations and three trade unions.
Ramić noted that “almost half of the representatives have already signed the initiative, thereby expressing their support for its content and recognizing the importance of adopting a law that would systemically regulate the issue of protection of employees from workplace harassment, also known as mobbing or psychological violence.”
The Stop Mobbing association launched this initiative with the support of MP Amra Junuzović-Kaljić, who submitted the written initiative to all representatives in the FBiH House of Representatives.
The initiative has also been sent to the Government of FBiH for review, with an explanation that adopting such a law is necessary to provide workers with a clear legal framework to protect their dignity, mental health, and labor rights.
The need for adopting the Law on Protection Against Workplace Harassment in FBiH is particularly evident in light of numerous reports by workers of psychological and physical harassment, humiliation, and other forms of abuse in the workplace, which are currently not systematically recognized or effectively sanctioned under FBiH legislation. While certain regulations partially address this issue, a comprehensive law is lacking—one that would define types of harassment, protection mechanisms, responsible institutions, and procedures for reporting and sanctions.
Women workers in the Federation of BiH face numerous forms of discrimination and harassment at the workplace. According to the January 2025 study “The Most Common Forms of Harassment of Women in the Labor Market in BiH” conducted by Stop Mobbing, as many as 72% of respondents in FBiH experience some form of workplace harassment. Additionally, 36% stated they do not know whom to turn to in cases of harassment at work. Although the research was conducted among women, the proposed law equally applies to both women and men—that is, to all employees in FBiH in both the public and private sectors.
Many European countries, as well as regional countries such as Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, have long had legislation that enables the prevention of and protection against workplace harassment. The same law already exists in Republika Srpska, but not in the Federation of BiH. Among other things, this law would allow for the introduction of preventive measures in workplaces and clearly defined institutional mechanisms for reporting and protecting victims of workplace violence. This would help prevent negative consequences for workers' mental health, reduce the rate of sick leave, and increase overall productivity and employee satisfaction.
