President Mirziyoyev signed a decree on September 21 outlining steps to ensure a safe, respectful working environment, the Justice Ministry's press service reported.
Under the decree, the program will be rolled out in phases across government bodies and organizations, legal entities with 50% or greater state ownership, and companies in which such entities hold at least a 50% stake.
By December 1, 2026, a Safe and Respectful Work Environment portal is to be launched within the information systems of the Agency for the Development of Public Service, for use by government bodies and organizations.
The portal will allow employees to submit online complaints about harassment and violence. If a complaint concerns the staff member responsible for handling the portal, that person's direct supervisor, or another official at the government body or organization involved, the complaint will automatically be forwarded to a higher authority.
The portal is also meant to support investigations into such complaints, including gathering evidence, preparing findings, and enabling information-sharing and communication throughout the process.
Data on investigations, their outcomes, any measures taken, and subsequent changes must be retained in the system, and the decree bars this information from being destroyed.
If a complaint reveals signs of an administrative offense or a crime, it must be forwarded to the appropriate authority through the unified "112" dispatch service.
The Agency for the Development of Public Service will monitor compliance with the program's rules through the portal. Where violations are found, it may issue directives requiring that they be addressed, which recipients are obligated to review.
Government bodies and organizations are advised to specify in their internal labor regulations that sexual or physical violence and sexual harassment may be treated as a single instance of gross misconduct sufficient to warrant serious disciplinary action.
Harassment, psychological pressure, and discrimination—whether committed by or directed at an employee—as well as retaliation against someone for filing a complaint, are to be treated as breaches of labor discipline.
Under the Labor Code, employers may respond to breaches of labor discipline with disciplinary measures including a reprimand, a fine of up to 30% of an employee's average monthly salary, or termination of the employment contract. A single instance of gross misconduct can result in the termination of an employee's contract.
The program is also meant to extend to enterprises, organizations, and institutions regardless of ownership form, though the announcement does not specify how it will be implemented in the private sector.
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