European Insurers and Unions Sign Joint Pledge to Curb Digital Harassment at Work
Published on 09/17/2026 at 23:00 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Insurance trade bodies and labour representatives have added a new chapter to their longstanding cooperation on workplace safety, signing an addendum in Brussels that explicitly targets harassment carried out through digital channels.
The agreement brings together UNI Europa Finance on the union side with employers and industry groups Insurance Europe, AMICE and BIPAR. Word of the signing came via a UNI Europa Finance report dated 17 September 2026.
At its core, the document updates a joint declaration first agreed in 2022, when the same social partners committed to preventive measures against misconduct in the workplace. The fresh addendum sharpens those commitments and sets out more detailed fields of action for insurance companies and their staff across EU member states.
Zero tolerance written into the text
Remote work and electronic communication have created new exposure for employees, and the signatories have responded by embedding a binding principle of zero tolerance toward digital harassment. The aim is to cover risks that arise when work is organised away from a fixed location or conducted primarily through electronic means.
Victim protection features prominently as well. Under the addendum, employees who experience harassment or assault are to receive clearer guidance and dedicated support mechanisms, giving them firmer footing within company structures.
As employers sharpen their duties around workplace misconduct, the paperwork behind those commitments still has to stand up. A free toolkit gives safety and HR leads ready-to-use risk assessments and checklists so that every hazard — including the ones that surface in remote work — is properly documented. Download the free Health & Safety Toolkit
Gender-sensitive risk assessments
Prevention sits at the heart of the agreement. Employers and employee representatives are expected to carry out gender-specific or gender-sensitive risk assessments, examining working environments and operational routines for hazards that affect particular groups of workers.
The social partners anchor this approach in European statistics. Their declaration points specifically to Eurostat data showing that one in three women in the European Union experiences gender-based violence — a figure the industry representatives cite as evidence that protection concepts need systematic review and binding standards, including in the workplace.
A gender-sensitive risk assessment only works if the right templates are in place to record what you find. A free Risk Assessment Toolkit offers 41 ready-to-use checklists and forms — covering everything from lone working to first aid — so your findings translate into a clear, defensible record. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
