The Violence and Harassment Convention (ILO number 190)came into force in Costa Rica on October 2nd, 2026, establishing new legal obligations for the employers, seeking to respect, promote and ensure that work is free from violence and harassment.
The Convention governs not only labor relations between workers and employers, but also protects interns, trainees, candidates, or job seekers, from harassment and violence, whether they occur in the workplace, places of rest, social events, or work-related training, in communications, on the way to work, i.e., in any situation that occurs in connection with work.
As a result of the entry into force, the government of Costa Rican must take certain legal actions to prevent workplace violence and harassment, while requiring that employers implement specific actions, including:
- The adoption and application of an internal policy regarding violence and harassment in the workplace, which makes it a legal obligation as it is currently to have a policy against sexual harassment in all workplaces.
- In terms of occupational health, assess risks and adopt measures to prevent and control them, considering “violence and harassment, as well as the associated psychosocial risks“.
- Providing training on the subject, including the dangers and risks of violence, the corresponding prevention and protection measures, and the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
In order to prevent legal and reputational contingencies, immediate attention to these actions is recommended, for which we are at your disposal.