Legislator Education for Workplace Bullying Laws by WBI Legislative Campaign


A Sample of Existing International Laws
Outside the U.S.


  • Sweden 1994 national law, the world's first
    Legislation that followed the pioneering research by Dr. Heinz Leymann. He was the first to draw the causal link between exposure to abusive work practices and severe psychological injury that traumatizes the most adversely impacted individuals (Post-Traumatic Stress Disordrer). Note the employer's responsibility to detect and correct.

  • 2007 Saskatchewan Province Occupational Health & Safety Act
    Canada's newest approach to prohibiting bullying -- by expansion of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Harassment itself is now considered hazardous. Harassment is defined traditionally by civil rights protected group status AND harassment occurs when the conduct "adversely affects the worker's psychological well-being ... (do not allow) a worker to be humiliated or intimated ..." Effective Oct. 1, 2007.

  • 2004 Quebec Province Labour Standard
    The first North American law. Effective June, 2004 after a two-year employer preparation period, this Labour Standard defined bullying as "psychological harassment." It prohibits assaults on an individual's psychological integrity or esteem.

    A Montreal professor described the elaborate complaint and resolution process in a March, 2006 conference presentation. You can view/download that presentation here in .pdf format.

  • 2005 South Australia Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act
    This Australian state held an international conference in 2002. The ombudsman and the state workers compensation system, in concert with legislative advocates, eventually created this legislation that carries the stiffest employer penalties in the country. It defines bullying as "repeated, systematic behaviour that victimizes, humiliates, undermines, threatens employees and that creates a risk to health or safety."

    Laws that help protect workers from abusive misconduct also exist in all Scandinavian countries, most EU nations including France and Germany, and the UK. More laws can be found at the WBI-LC website.

    The U.S. lags far behind as we debate whether or not bullying actually happens, and if it does exist, why should employers have to abandon its use.