Rio Grande do Norte judges hold public hearing on workplace electoral harassment

On 20 July 2024, the Rede Potiguar de Cooperação e Inteligência Judiciária organized a public hearing at the Tribunal Regional Eleitoral (TRE‑RN) in Natal to discuss the prevention and combat of electoral harassment in employment relations. The session, streamed live on YouTube, brought together representatives from TRE‑RN, the Regional Labor Court (TRT‑21), the State Court of Justice (TJRN), Federal Justice in Rio Grande do Norte, and the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Judge Simone Jalil explained that the goal is to inform the public about what constitutes electoral harassment, how to identify it, and how to report it, emphasizing that the practice can occur in both private and public sectors and may involve bosses, colleagues, or even horizontal pressure.

A month before the official start of Brazil’s 2026 election campaign, the Labor Justice intensified its preventive actions. Judge Jalil warned that many people mistakenly think harassment only involves threats of dismissal, stating, “Many people think it’s only when there is a threat of dismissal, but in reality it’s not.” She highlighted the broader legal definition, noting that any behavior intended to humiliate, coerce, or influence a worker’s vote qualifies as a crime. Workers can file complaints anonymously through unions, the Ministry of Labor, the Electoral Public Ministry, or the Disque 100 hotline. The hearing and the reinforced labor‑court measures aim to safeguard democratic participation ahead of the campaign that begins on 16 August and the elections on 4 October.