Discrimination and mobbing (or workplace bullying), although they are similar phenomena, they are not the same thing. Discrimination is a violation of the principle of equality and implies violence against a person because of his or her legally protected characteristic (e.g. gender, disability). Mobbing, on the other hand, may have various causes, but the aggression that manifests itself in this case is not motivated by dislike of the representatives of the stigmatised group. Moreover, unlike discrimination, which does not have to be intentional and may consist in individual acts, mobbing can only be said to occur through long-lasting and intentional acts. Ultimately, mobbing occurs in the work environment, whereas discrimination can take place anywhere.

Article 94 [3] § 2 of Polish Labour Code defines mobbing as any actions or behaviour relating to an employee or directed against the employee consisting of persistent and long-lasting harassment or intimidation of an employee resulting in his or her decreased evaluation of professional capabilities, as well as resulting in or aimed at humiliating or ridiculing an employee, isolating him or her or eliminating him or her from a work team.

Mobbing is therefore this sort of behaviour which is aimed at causing en employee to feel inferior, excluded, isolated, etc. It can take forms of constant and unjustified criticism, ridiculing, humiliating, ignoring, spreading rumours, forcing to do harder work or work that is beyond someone’s capabilities in order to prove the person’s professional incompetence.

Impotant: Mobbing is not discrimination. If you are an employee of Wrocław University of Science and Technology and you believe that you have been the victim of mobbing, we recommend that you address your concern to the Rector in writing (in accordance with the procedure described in the annex to the Internal Ordinance 88/2015).