When faced with discrimination in the workplace, it is important to be aware of it, to take a critical look at it, and to contact the authorities that investigate such violations. The Equal opportunities Ombudsperson is responsible for dealing with complaints of discrimination at work, but, depending on the situation and your expectations, you should know when to contact the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson’s Office and when to go elsewhere, and what to expect from the different institutions.
Under the Law on Equal Opportunities and the Labour Code, employers must treat all employees equally, regardless of their personal characteristics (such as gender, nationality, disability, age, etc.). If this is not the case, the discrimination should first be reported to your line manager. If he/she do not act, or if he/she discriminate, you should contact one of the relevant authorities. The main institutions in Lithuania that investigate cases of discrimination in the working environment are the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, the State Labour Inspectorate and the State Labour Disputes Commission.
The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson is responsible for implementing equal opportunities and preventing discrimination in society. The Office oversees the implementation of the Law on Equal Opportunities and the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.
The State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) regulates labor relations, resolves labor disputes and educates the public on labor law issues, prevents violations of labor laws, occupational accidents and diseases, and oversees implementation of the Labour Code.
The State Labour Disputes Commission is a mandatory pre-trial labor dispute resolution body that settles individual and collective labor disputes over labor law violations. It works closely with the SLI, but specializes in resolving labor disputes and imposing sanctions, rather than investigating or finding discrimination as the latter does.
In the area of protection against discrimination at work, these institutions work as follows:
| Institution | What kind of discrimination[1] can be contacted about | How can the institution help? | How can I address this institution? |
| Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson | You can apply if you have been discriminated against on the grounds of your gender, race, nationality, citizenship[2], language, origin, social status[3], religion, beliefs or opinions, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion. | Determine whether discrimination has occurred. The findings of the Expert controller do not compensate the applicant for the damage suffered. Only a court can order compensation for material and non-material damage caused by discrimination. However, the Office may issue recommendations, warnings, order the offender to stop discriminatory advertising or impose an administrative fine. | You can send your complaint by email, by post or by filling in the e-complaint form. You will find information on how to make a complaint here. |
| State Labour Inspectorate | You can apply if you have been discriminated against on the grounds of your gender, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, membership of a political party or association, religion, beliefs or opinions, the intention to have a child, or any other circumstances unrelated to your qualities as a worker. | Establishes that there has been a discrimination violation and refers it to the State Labour Disputes Commission. | For a sample complaint form, please click here. |
| National Labour Disputes Commission | You can apply if you have been discriminated against on the grounds of your gender, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, membership of a political party or association, religion, beliefs or opinions, the intention to have a child, or any other circumstances unrelated to your qualities as a worker. | Provides a solution (assessment of the situation). Both the labor disputes committee and the court have the power to reinstate a person if they find that he or she has been unfairly dismissed, to award compensation for material or non-material damage, and to impose fines or interest. The costs incurred by the parties before the Labour Disputes Commission shall not be awarded. If they disagree with the decision of the Labour Disputes Committee, they can appeal against it to the courts. A conciliation agreement may be concluded by mutual agreement of the parties to the dispute. | There are 22 labor dispute commissions in Lithuania. The Commission should be contacted in the area where you live. A list of contacts can be found here. A complaint form can be found here. |
[1] Harassment, sexual harassment and instructions to discriminate are also considered discrimination
[2] Citizenship – citizenship of citizens of the Member States of the European Union and the countries of the European Economic Area and their family members.
[3] Social status – a natural person’s education, qualifications or training, studies at research and study institutions, property possessions, income, need for state support as defined by law, family status and/or other factors related to the person’s financial/economic situation.