---
title: "Silent mobbing: how \"digital boycott\" and ignoring in chats become grounds for administrative liability in Ukraine"
description: "Mobbing in Ukraine is not just open conflicts, but also \"digital boycotts,\" ignoring in chats, and economic pressure. Legislation provides for administrative liability for such actions, and the draft new Labor Code proposes new mechanisms for protecting workers. 🛡️💻"
date: 2026-07-28T09:08:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/silent-mobbing-digital-boycott-and-liability-in-ukraine
tags: [ukraine, labor-law, mobbing, digital-boycott, administrative-code]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Silent mobbing: how "digital boycott" and ignoring in chats become grounds for administrative liability in Ukraine

![Woman in distress at laptop, symbolizing victim of quiet mobbing and digital boycott in work chat](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/28/mobing-v-ukraine-tsifrovoy-boykot-i-otvetstvennost/mobing-v-ukraine-tsifrovoy-boykot-i-otvetstvennost-1.webp)

Mobbing in the context of remote work often does not manifest as open conflicts or loud insults. However, systematic ignoring of an employee's messages, excluding them from online meetings, or regularly assigning tasks after working hours may be classified as psychological pressure with serious legal consequences.

Ukrainian legislation guarantees the protection of workers' rights regardless of the employment format—whether it is an office or remote work. If psychological or economic pressure is systematic and negatively affects the employee, this may indicate a case of mobbing.

### What is mobbing and what are its goals

Mobbing is defined as systematic, prolonged, and intentional actions or inaction by an employer, individual colleagues, or the collective. Their goal is to exert psychological or economic pressure on a specific employee. The main objective of such bullying is to humiliate the individual, isolate them from the team, and devalue the employee's professional qualities.

The consequence of such actions is the creation of a hostile atmosphere that infringes upon the employee's honor, dignity, and business reputation. Legislation clearly states that mobbing can occur not only during personal communication but also via email, corporate chats, messengers, video conferences, and other digital communication channels.

### "Digital boycott" and economic pressure

One of the most common forms of so-called "silent" mobbing is the "digital boycott." In this case, an employee is systematically ignored in messages or work requests in corporate chats, which effectively deprives them of the ability to fully perform their duties.

In addition to the psychological aspect, the law also classifies economic pressure as mobbing. This includes unjustified deprivation of bonuses or other payments, as well as establishing unequal pay for work of equal value.

Psychological pressure can take various forms:

- Threats, insults, and ridicule;

- Spreading false information;

- Uneven distribution of workload;

- Unjustified deprivation of work without dismissal;

- Limiting career growth opportunities;

- Denial of access to the workplace.

A separate form of bullying is the creation of a hostile atmosphere where an employee is isolated from the team, not invited to necessary meetings and conferences, or their workplace is moved to conditions unsuitable for work.

### Liability and protection of rights

For committing mobbing, Article 173-5 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses provides for administrative liability. If such actions are committed repeatedly within a year or by a group of persons, the punishment is aggravated.

Systematic pressure that hinders the performance of work, affects health, or creates unbearable working conditions should not be perceived as personality traits of a manager or colleagues. If actions are intentional and regular, they bear the signs of mobbing, and the employee has the right to protect their rights in the manner prescribed by law.

It is important to remember that Ukrainian labor legislation does not provide for monetary fines as a type of disciplinary sanction for employees. In case of violation of labor discipline, the employer may apply only measures defined by law. In the event of illegal deductions from wages, the employee has the right to appeal such actions.

### Legislative prospects

In Ukraine, the possibility of updating labor legislation to enshrine additional guarantees of protection against mobbing, discrimination, and harassment is being considered. In particular, the draft new Labor Code provides mechanisms for responding to such cases, including the possibility of temporarily switching to remote work.