by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Teresa Dennetta — Labor and Employment Lawyer and Coordinator of the Anti-Mobbing Support Center; Nadia Sollazzo — Psychologist at the Anti-Mobbing Support Center.
The four centers in Trieste, Udine, Pordenone and Gorizia assisted 544 people in 2025, while demand continued to grow in the first half of 2026.
The Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government allocated €280,000 in 2026 to four centers that assist workers experiencing workplace bullying and harassment, providing legal, psychological and medical support.
The centers, known as Punti di ascolto antimobbing, are located in Trieste, Udine, Pordenone and Gorizia. Each received €70,000 in regional funding this year, the maximum annual contribution available, as the number of people seeking assistance has increased.
Regional Labor Councilor Alessia Rosolen presented the latest figures at a news conference in Trieste on Oct. 22. She said the region had also expanded the range of expenses eligible for funding.
In 2025, the four centers assisted 544 people, including 361 women, and conducted 1,431 consultations. The number of people seeking help rose 37 percent compared with 2017, while the number of consultations nearly tripled.
During the first six months of 2026, the centers assisted 351 people, including 227 women and 124 men. Of those, 297 were accessing the services for the first time.
Udine recorded the highest number of users, with 147, followed by Gorizia with 77, Pordenone with 65 and Trieste with 62.
The data indicate that workplace harassment affects employees across a range of educational backgrounds and occupations. Among 341 users whose educational qualifications were recorded, 155 had completed secondary school and 116 held university degrees.
Most of those seeking assistance were employed on permanent contracts, with 295 such workers compared with 40 on fixed-term contracts or apprenticeships. Private-sector employees accounted for 245 users, while 96 worked in the public sector, particularly in local government and education.
Among the cases that had been closed, the most frequently reported forms of harassment included humiliation and persistent criticism, recorded in 301 instances. Excessive monitoring was reported 147 times, while the assignment of unreasonable workloads appeared in 73 cases.
Supervisors or employers were identified as the alleged perpetrators in 294 of 375 recorded instances involving identified individuals. Colleagues at the same organizational level were cited in 72 cases.
The most frequently reported workplace problem was the violation of workers’ rights, recorded in 284 cases, followed by organizational difficulties, with 83.
The figures varied across the region. In Trieste, women accounted for 68 percent of users, while 52 percent of those assisted held university degrees and 74 percent worked in private-sector office positions.
In Udine, the 147 people assisted included 86 women and 61 men. The center recorded 128 instances involving alleged violations of workers’ rights and 134 instances of harassment attributed to supervisors.
In Gorizia, 77 people received assistance, including 52 women and 25 men. Fifty-six worked in the private sector and 21 in public employment.
The regional government said the funding was intended to sustain the centers’ services as demand for support continued to rise.
