Workplace violence and harassment have emerged as a particularly serious issue in Crete, which recorded by far the highest rate of complaints in Greece in 2025, according to the annual report of the Independent Authority for Labor Inspection, published in March 2026.
Crete recorded 15.39 complaints per 1,000 workers, compared with a nationwide average of 1.19 per 1,000. The rate on the island was therefore approximately 13 times higher than the national average.
The indicator measures labor disputes related to incidents of workplace violence and harassment recorded by regional labor relations directorates, relative to the number of employees at the businesses involved in the complaints.
Western Greece and the Ionian Islands ranked second, with 7.06 complaints per 1,000 workers.
The report links Crete’s particularly high rate, among other factors, to the structure of its labor market. Tourism, food service and retail employ large numbers of workers, while seasonal employment, fixed-term contracts and high employee turnover create conditions in which repeated complaints appear to be recorded.
More workers are breaking their silence
The increase in complaints does not necessarily mean that incidents have risen at the same rate. Part of the increase appears to be linked to a change in workers’ attitudes, with more employees now willing to speak out and turn to the relevant authorities.
Across Greece, 455 labor dispute applications involving workplace violence and harassment were recorded in 2025, a 43% increase from 2024.
Psychological and verbal violence was by far the most common type of incident, accounting for 79% of recorded cases. Physical, psychological and verbal violence accounted for another 15%, while sexual harassment represented 6%.
The relationship between the victim and the person accused was also significant. In 73% of cases, the two had a direct hierarchical relationship, highlighting the role of power dynamics in the workplace.
Complaints rise among younger workers
A significant change was also recorded among younger workers filing complaints.
Among workers aged 25 to 34, the share increased from 14% in 2024 to 21.8% in 2025.
The data also show a change in the gender breakdown of people accused of violent or harassing behavior. The proportion of women among those reported rose from 30% in 2024 to 38% in 2025.
In total, 372 men, or 62%, were listed as accused persons in 2025, compared with 227 women, or 38%.
While men remained the majority, the change indicates that workplace violence and harassment are not limited to a single gender dynamic.
Women make up most sexual harassment victims
Sexual harassment occupies a distinct place in the report.
Of the 28 recorded cases, 25 involved women, representing 89%, while three cases, or 11%, involved men.
The gender breakdown was reversed among those accused: 90% were men and 10% were women.
For the first time, the report also recorded cases of sexual harassment between people of the same gender, accounting for 10% of cases between women and 11% between men.
By sector, the highest proportion of labor disputes involving sexual harassment nationwide was recorded in food service, at 21%, followed by retail, at 14%.
Tourism at the center of Crete’s complaints
Tourism is one of the main sectors in which workplace incidents are reported in Crete, a situation linked in part to the large number of seasonal workers employed in the industry.
Stelios Vorgias, president of the Heraklion Labor Center, said the problem is not new. Previous research had already documented cases of sexual harassment and bullying.
At the same time, he described the increase in complaints as a positive sign because more workers appear to be breaking their silence and asserting their rights.
Vorgias said working conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent years and that bullying and harassment frequently occur in workplaces, involving not only employers but also supervisors, colleagues and even customers.
‘Do not be afraid to report’
Vorgias also attributed the rise in complaints to a gradual change in attitudes.
In the past, he said, many workers chose to leave a job or change their workplace rather than file an official complaint. Increasingly, however, workers appear willing to report incidents.
His message to employees is that they should not remain silent in the face of violence, harassment or bullying and should turn to the Labor Inspectorate, labor centers or their unions.
Behind every number and statistic, he emphasized, is a worker seeking what should be a basic right: a safe and dignified working environment.
