What applies to harassment at the workplace?
An employer who learns of harassment connected to the work shall investigate and take measures to stop it continuing. Where the investigation is omitted, discrimination compensation may follow.
What the source says
- Chapter 2 section 3 of the Discrimination Act: a duty to investigate and act on becoming aware of harassment.
- Chapter 1 section 4: harassment and sexual harassment are defined as violating conduct linked to a protected ground.
- Chapter 3 of the Work Environment Act: victimisation is also handled within systematic work environment management.
Source rows
- Discrimination Act (SFS 2008:567)SFS 2008:567 · Equality Ombudsman · Read 2026-08-20 · Content hash 9e98402edd6b8390Official source
- Work Environment Act (SFS 1977:1160)SFS 1977:1160 · Swedish Work Environment Authority · Read 2026-08-20 · Content hash a720fa169575a2b9Official source
For the employer · How the employer puts the question
The investigation shall start without delay and be documented, the point of awareness is the starting point.
For the employee · How the employee puts the question
Report in writing, awareness is what triggers the employer's duty.
Next step
Read the duty to investigate together with the work environment duty, both apply at once.
The rows reproduce what the source says. They are not legal advice, and applying them to a specific case is the reader's or their counsel's decision.
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Next step
Three ways to put the register to work in your own practice.
Start with your task
Litigation
Find support in a judgment
Search guiding decisions, see what became final and follow changes in the law.
In-house, deals
Map the rules in a transaction
Move from theme to act and on to the article that carries the duty.
Compliance
Assess the risk in a process
Risk scoring per legal area, with the sources behind every score.