MPT records 463 election harassment complaints across the country

BrazilIt already accounts for 463 complaints of electoral harassment in the workplace,Electoral harassment in the workplaceElectoral harassment in the workplace is any

practicePractice"The workplace environment is not a space for electoral propaganda," says prosecutor Igor Souza Gonçalves, a prosecutor at the Ministry of Labor Public Prosecution. He is the national coordinator for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities and Elimination of Discrimination at Work for the MPT.

"The workplace is not a space for electoral propaganda," says Igor Souza Gonçalves, a prosecutor with the Ministry of Labor Public Prosecution. He is the national coordinator for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities and Elimination of Discrimination at Work for the MPT.

One of the cases took place in Brasília, where vigilantes and employees of the 5 Estrelas Sistemas de Segurança company were called to attend events outside their regular working hours, where candidates asked for votes. Following a complaint from the MPT, the Labor CourtIt prohibited the company from engaging in electoral harassment.. 

By the decision, the company cannot call for or hold events used for political-party manifestations, nor distribute election propaganda material or adopt practices aimed at influencing, directing, inducing, or interfering with the political orientation or votes of employees and workers.

Sought after, 5 Estrelas stated that "it bases its actions on the strict adherence to legislation and respect for the freedom of choice and expression of its employees" and that the company does not adopt as an institutional practice "any form of political-electoral guidance for its employees, nor does it authorize the use of its structures and activities for such purposes." It also said that it is at the disposal of the competent authorities.

Increase in complaints in September

Out of the 463 complaints received by MPT in 2026, 199 occurred in September (38% of the total), a month that is not yet over. In 2022, the agency received 68 complaints for the entire month.

The expectation of MPT is that the number of complaints will increase between the first and second rounds, as this was the period with the most cases recorded in 2022, according to Gonçalves.

The increase in complaints close to the election can be explained by a greater awareness of the population and companies about what electoral harassment is, says the prosecutor.

"Some practices that we today call electoral harassment were already known by the entire Brazilian society before this phenomenon. But it was in 2022 that we began to build this concept, based on a flood of complaints reaching the Labor Ministry," he explains.

"It is important to highlight the significant participation of unions, the signing of TACs [Conduct Adjustment Terms] and MPT recommendations, as well as brochures that were widely reproduced in that context," continues Gonçalves. The total number of complaints in 2022 reached 3,500.

Learn to identify and report

Electoral harassment can occur when benefits or advantages are promised to workers related to the choice of the vote or political position.

It can also happen in situations involving threats of job loss or working conditions associated with the vote or political position, as well as humiliation and embarrassment.

Among the situations investigated for electoral harassment are:

• the requirement to wear uniforms, shirts, hats, or other symbols associated with a candidacy;
• The holding of meetings at work for the presentation of candidates or political guidance;
• The mobilization of workers for election campaigns, posts, or petitions;
• The establishment of work schedules and locations on election day that favor voting only from workers who affirm their support for a particular candidate;
• The conduct of surveys or polls on voting intent in the workplace.

Anyone can file complaints with the MPT. The agency receives complaints through its website, by phone, email, or in person at its units. Evidence that can be presented with the complaint includes messages, emails, social media posts, documents, images, audios, videos, records from internal channels, and witness information.

"Beyond simply taking a screenshot, it's important that the worker also tries, if they can, to record the screen [of their phone or computer], because it helps preserve that digital evidence," advises Gonçalves from the MPT.

According to the prosecutor, simply taking a screenshot is more likely to be challenged in court. "Recording has a greater chance of that evidence being used, without the discussion of selecting what is being posted and, in some way, trying to manipulate the image."

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The postThe Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT) accounts for 463 complaints of electoral harassment across the countryappeared first onReporter Brazil.