Law against discrimination at work comes into force in Romania

A law to penalize discrimination at work came in force in Romania, with fines ranging from RON 1,000 to RON 20,000 (EUR 200 - 4,000), Ziarul Financiar reported.

The companies fined have the option to pay half of the legal minimum, meaning RON 500 (just over EUR 100) within a 15-day deadline.

Law 151/2020 amends and completes Law 53/2003 - the Labor Code, stipulating fines for employers who apply discrimination at work.

This amendment brings for the first time in the Labor Code the notion of discrimination through association, harassment, and victimization.

The amendment introduces in the Labor Code definitions for each sanctionable behavior, as follows: harassment, discrimination by association, victimization, and ordering a person to use a form of discrimination.

The new law also specifies new reasons that companies are not allowed to use for dismissing employees (such as race, citizenship, ethnicity, color, language, religion, social origin, genetic traits, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability).

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