Sexual harassment at work is a criminal offence carrying up to ten years

Equality. Provisions creating the offence of sexual harassment

Review outstanding

Information, not legal advice. This is general information about Zimbabwean employment law, not legal advice about your situation. Employment outcomes turn on the exact wording of a contract, the applicable National Employment Council agreement and the facts of each case. Before acting, read the source instrument linked on this page and take advice from a legal practitioner registered in Zimbabwe.

Read thisThis proposition has been checked against the instrument it comes from, but a legal practitioner registered in Zimbabwe has not yet signed it off. Until that happens it is not treated as published. Read the source instrument yourself before acting on it.

In plain words

Sexual harassment in the workplace is now a crime. A person convicted can be imprisoned for up to ten years, and dismissal is set out as an appropriate sanction where an employee is responsible.

The amendment moved sexual harassment from being only an unfair labour practice to also being a criminal offence. Employers are expected to have a policy and a complaints route, and an employer that fails to act on a complaint exposes itself to a separate unfair labour practice claim.

Applies to: All workplaces

Chishona

Kunetsa mumwe munhu nezvepabonde pabasa ikozvino imhosva. Anowanikwa nemhosva anogona kupfeka jeri kusvika makore gumi.

IsiNdebele

Ukuhlukuluza omunye ngokobulili emsebenzini khathesi kuyicala. Otholakala elecala angavalelwa iminyaka efika kwelitshumi.

Where this comes from and when it applies

Field	Value
Instrument	Labour Amendment Act, 2023 (Act No. 11 of 2023)
Kind	Amendment Act
Chapter	28:01
Provision	Provisions creating the offence of sexual harassment
In force from	2023-07-14
In force to	Still in force
Recorded on this platform	2026-08-20
Supersedes	—
Official source	https://www.law.co.zw/the-labour-amendment-act-of-2023-a-summary/
Review status	Outstanding

As at 20 Oct 2026, 09:22. Method version 2026.07.1.