Droga Raia ordered to pay R$ 4 million for workplace harassment

The Regional Labor Court of the 1st Region (TRT-1) has unanimously ordered the pharmacy chain Droga Raia to pay R$ 4 million in collective moral damages. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the Labor Public Prosecutor's Office in Rio de Janeiro (MPT-RJ) regarding allegations of moral, sexual, and maternal harassment.

The court also addressed discriminatory practices involving race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical appearance, including fatphobia. The decision noted that the company's internal reporting channels were ineffective in investigating and repressing such acts. Furthermore, the court found that the company's Risk Management Program (PGR) and Occupational Medical Health Control Program (PCMSO) were merely formalistic, focusing on physical and chemical risks while failing to adequately monitor psychosocial risks such as mental health and harassment.

Droga Raia has 90 days to update its safety and health programs to include protocols for identifying and preventing psychosocial risks, including gender-sensitive listening protocols. The company stated it intends to appeal, maintaining that its internal policies and diversity programs are in place and that the initial lower court ruling had found the claims unfounded.