This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is examined on its own facts, and every cause of action has its own limitation period.

Someone at work humiliates you on a regular basis, isolates you from the team, or piles an unreasonable load on you meant to push you out. You're not sure whether the law has a name for it, or whether there's anything to do besides put up with it or resign. In this article I explain what Israeli law actually covers on this, where it stays silent, and why the documentation you keep today, in real time, is the most important thing you can do for yourself.

What the law covers, and what it doesn't

Contrary to what many people think, Israel doesn't have a single law called a workplace bullying law. Humiliating or hostile conduct unrelated to gender or sex isn't regulated by dedicated legislation. That doesn't mean it's permitted, it means the legal basis it's drawn from is different, and sometimes more complex, than a cause of action set out explicitly in a statute. It's worth distinguishing this from sexual harassment, for which Israel does have a dedicated, detailed law, the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, which applies only in certain situations, not to every hostile relationship.

The employer's duty of good faith and care

The main source of protection for an employee suffering from hostile conduct is the principle of good faith in employment relations, as it developed in Labor Court case law. The employment relationship gives rise to a duty on the employer to maintain a reasonable work environment, and not to ignore a situation where an employee is being harassed or humiliated systematically, even when the source of the conduct is one manager or another employee. When an employer knows about the conduct and doesn't act to stop it, it can bear liability of its own, separate from the liability of whoever actually carried out the acts. This is the basis from which, in appropriate cases, a civil claim for a hostile work environment is built.

Where the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law begins

The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law applies when the conduct is connected to sex or gender: sexual comments, humiliating treatment because of gender, repeated and rejected advances, or retaliation following a complaint about harassment of this kind. This law places clear obligations on certain employers, such as adopting internal regulations and appointing someone responsible for handling complaints. If what you're experiencing includes an element like this, it's worth checking separately, because the process and the evidence required differ from a case of general bullying unrelated to sex or gender.

Where the law stays silent, your documentation is what speaks.

Real-time documentation: why it beats memory

In the absence of a dedicated law spelling out what counts as bullying and what doesn't, your case rests almost entirely on the facts you can prove. Memory, even honest memory, erodes. A description written two weeks after an incident already blends with other events and loses precise dates. So the first rule is to write it down immediately. On the day it happens, or the next day at the latest, write down what was said, who was present, at what time, and where. Keep the record somewhere outside the employer's control, such as a personal email or a private journal, not only on your work computer. Text messages, emails, or messages in a work group that show the conduct are worth saving exactly as they are, including the date and time. Witnesses who were present matter a great deal too: even if they're not willing to testify today, know who they are and note it down.

How to complain, and how to keep proof that you did

A verbal complaint to a manager, even a sincere and truthful one, is very hard to prove later. Where possible, submit your complaint in writing: an email to your direct manager, to HR, or to whichever address the company has designated for complaints. Describe what happened in terms of facts, not interpretation, and note the dates. Keep a copy for yourself, and if you received a response, keep that too. If you didn't receive a response within a reasonable time, that fact itself can serve you later, because it shows the employer's disregard, not only the original conduct.

What to do now

If you're in the middle of a situation like this, a few rules protect your case:

  • Document every incident in real time, with date, time, and precise details.
  • Keep every message, email, or document related to the conduct, even if it seems minor.
  • File a written complaint following your workplace's existing procedures, and keep a copy.
  • Don't resign hastily. In cases where the conduct is severe and ongoing and the employer hasn't corrected it despite a complaint, an employee may be entitled to resign under circumstances that carry the same rights as a dismissal, but this entitlement depends on the specific facts and is examined case by case, so it's worth getting advice before resigning, not after.
  • Check the limitation deadlines, since every cause of action has its own timeline.

Good documentation doesn't guarantee an outcome, but without it there's almost never a case.