The Labor Inspectorate’s new annual report shows that violence and harassment in the workplace remain prevalent, with psychological and verbal forms being the most common (79%), while the number of formal complaints has been rising since 2021.
The Labor Inspectorate has released its new annual report on violence and harassment in the workplace, clearly documenting the evolution of a phenomenon that remains complex but is now being addressed with more effective tools and greater institutional preparedness, according to a related announcement.
The report’s findings confirm that violence and harassment in the workplace continue to manifest primarily in psychological and verbal forms (79%), while incidents of physical violence (15%) and sexual harassment (6%) occur at lower rates.
Particular importance is attached to the long-term upward trend in the filing of formal complaints regarding workplace violence and harassment with the Labor Inspectorate, which has been consistently recorded every year since the protective institutional framework came into effect in 2021.
In total, 455 labor dispute claims related to incidents of violence and harassment were filed in 2025, a 43% increase compared to 2024.
As the Labor Inspectorate states in its announcement, “this development not only reflects the extent of the phenomenon but, at the same time, demonstrates an encouraging increase in visibility, confirming the growing awareness among workers regarding their rights, as well as their increasing confidence in institutional protection mechanisms.”
The consistently high rate of case resolution through the special labor dispute procedure is extremely encouraging. 37% of disputes were resolved through compliance measures, while 6% were withdrawn, mainly due to withdrawals of claims, after an agreement was reached, in view of the scheduled hearing, a fact that demonstrates that this out-of-court mechanism functions decisively even at an early stage as a venue for resolution and substantially increases the overall rate of effective management to levels above 40%.
Noteworthy in 2025 is the increase in labor disputes from just one in 2024 to ten, in which the special administrative measure of issuing an order with immediate enforceability for provisional measures was applied. In nine of these cases, this order had a catalytic effect on achieving the goal of their substantive resolution, aimed at preserving the employment relationship and restoring a climate of normality, by preventing the recurrence of the alleged harassing behaviors.
Furthermore, the fact that the majority of incidents (73%) occur within relationships of vertical hierarchical dependence underscores the importance of hierarchical power as a critical factor in the manifestation of such deviant behaviors.
The 8% increase (21.8% compared to 14% in 2024) in complaints from younger age groups (25–34 years old) highlights the growing boldness of young workers, accompanied by a corresponding decline in their tolerance and silence in the face of demeaning and offensive behavior in the workplace.
There has also been a significant change in the composition of those reported. In 2025, women accounted for 38% of those reported, compared to 30% in 2024, while men remained in the majority at 62%.
Noteworthy is the first-ever documentation of sexual harassment between women (10%) as well as from men toward men (11%), a fact that reinforces the need to address the phenomenon primarily as a violation of personal dignity in the workplace, regardless of the gender of those involved.
The 2025 report introduces, for the first time, the concept of the non-compliance index, which stands at 9%, with significant variations across sectors and higher rates reaching 23% in specific activities, such as health services and property management, beauty salons and hair salons, and legal and accounting services.
The announcement notes that the retail trade sector (8%), wholesale trade and accommodation (9%), and food services (12%) are close to the overall index and, as a result of targeted awareness-raising efforts and inspections, will be in line with the overall index by 2025.
The violation rate, both overall and by activity, is calculated as the ratio of confirmed violations to the total number of cases, essentially consolidating data on labor disputes, recorded inspections, and the registry of non-compliant employers against whom administrative sanctions have been imposed for violating the prohibition on violence and harassment in the workplace.
The data analysis also shows that the chances of resolving disputes increase significantly when the employment relationship remains active, underscoring the importance of timely action and intervention.
“The 2025 report paints a picture of the gradual maturation of the system for addressing violence and harassment in the workplace. More complaints, less silence, greater trust in institutions, and improved effectiveness. This report aims to serve as a useful tool for information and documentation for public administration, social partners, and the world of work in general, contributing to the development of effective policies and practices for preventing and addressing violence and harassment in the workplace, for the benefit of social cohesion and the protection of dignity at work. Building on the Labor Inspectorate’s expertise to date on these issues, we will steadfastly continue our efforts to further educate and empower our entire society against this phenomenon, regardless of the form or intensity in which it manifests », says Georgia Vazaki, head of the independent unit for monitoring workplace violence and harassment.
Source: Ta Nea
