Maranhão recorded 99 reports of electoral harassment in the workplace in just three days, between Wednesday (28) and Friday (30) October. The data places the state in 12th position among the Federation units with the most registrations.
The complaints were received through a specific channel created by the ministry to identify situations of pressure, threats or embarrassment against workers due to their political choices. The cases are under analysis by the Labor Tax Audit.
Electoral harassment at work occurs when the employer tries to influence an employee's vote through threats, such as job loss, salary reduction or position demotion, or promotes political activities, such as distributing cards and events, in the workplace.
The balance was released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) on Saturday (31). Across Brazil, 4,305 complaints were registered in the same period.
The Northeast appears as the second region with the most records, with 784 occurrences, behind only the Southeast, which concentrates 2,087 complaints, equivalent to 48.5% of the national total. Among the northeastern states, Ceará leads, with 172 complaints, followed by Bahia (169) and Pernambuco (137). Maranhão appears in fourth position in the region.
According to the MTE, registering a complaint does not mean that electoral harassment has been proven. The reports undergo analysis and inspection to check for possible irregularities.
The Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, stated that workers' freedom of political choice must be respected and that employers cannot use their position to influence employees' votes.
"We cannot allow workers to be threatened, embarrassed or discriminated against for their political choices. Voting is free and secret, and no employer can use their position to interfere in the decisions of their employees", he declared in a statement.
Monitoring and combating electoral harassment
The Labor Tax Audit is responsible for analyzing complaints and carrying out inspections to verify the reported situations. When irregularities are identified, the body can apply administrative sanctions and refer cases to other institutions.
The MTE also announced joint measures with the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), the Attorney General's Office (AGU), the Superior Labor Court (TST) and other bodies to prevent and combat electoral harassment.
Among the planned actions are the removal of content on the internet that promotes politically motivated persecution or discrimination and the sending of guidance to workers through the Digital Work Card.
Can the worker report it? How to do it?
Workers who suffer or witness situations of electoral harassment or politically motivated discrimination in the workplace can file complaints anonymously.
To facilitate the investigation, it is important to provide as much information as possible, such as the name of the company, the people involved, the location, date and description of the facts. Documents and evidence such as messages, emails, photos and videos can also be attached.
Complaints are confidential and forwarded to the competent bodies, responsible for analyzing the reports, investigating possible irregularities and adopting the appropriate measures to protect workers' rights.
See the main channels:
Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE): receives complaints through the channel https://assedioeleitoral.trabalho.gov.br/
Public Ministry of Labor (MPT): receives complaints through the channel https://mpt.mp.br/assedio-eleitoral
Labor Court: the Superior Labor Court (TST) and the Regional Labor Courts have service channels and ombudsman offices to receive reports related to the topic.
Union centrals: provide a channel for reporting political pressure, layoffs or benefit cuts related to electoral choice.
Electoral Public Ministry (MPE): can be called in situations involving possible crimes or electoral irregularities.
Union: the category's union can also receive complaints and advise workers about their rights.
Complaints Channel for Labor Inspection: online channel of the Ministry of Labor for labor complaints;
Fala.br: integrated ombudsman platform and access to information from the Comptroller General of the Union;
Central Alô Trabalho: number 158 is open from Monday to Saturday, from 7am to 10pm (Brasília time). Free call from any landline, but cell phone calls will be charged;
Regional Labor Superintendences: are responsible for executing, supervising and monitoring actions related to public labor policies in the states;
Dial 100: Free service available 24 hours a day, Dial 100 receives reports of human rights violations, including moral harassment at work.
