Workplace harassment: Govt officer fined for humiliating female colleague

ISLAMABAD: A government officer has been fined Rs500,000 for humiliating a female colleague through repeated derogatory remarks and discriminatory language, according to a decision by the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace.

The Federal Ombudsperson found that the officer targeted the woman over her inability to have children.

The decision said that the accused used gender-based insulting language as a tool against a workplace colleague, reflecting a discriminatory mindset and creating a hostile professional environment.

According to the ruling, the officer carried out a targeted campaign against the complainant by publishing multiple offensive messages online. The accused also allegedly created a fake book title along with fabricated authorship and publishing details to ridicule the woman.

The Ombudsperson observed that using terms associated with transgender identity as insults is not merely inappropriate language but also promotes harmful stereotypes against a vulnerable segment of society.

The ruling further said that while the use of ethnic or linguistic references alone does not automatically constitute harassment, deliberately using humiliating and discriminatory language against a colleague falls within the scope of workplace harassment.

The Ombudsperson said that such conduct has no place in a professional environment and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on the officer.