by Leandro Aguiar
Private security guards at a hospital in Acre are summoned to attend a political event, with the threat that those who do not show up could lose their jobs. In Caldas Novas, Goiás, the opening of a new branch of the department store chain Havan turns into a political rally, featuring a fiery speech by owner Luciano Hang, who rails against the ending of the six-day workweek and defends the policies of right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his father, jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro. In Maceió, digital influencer Rico Melquíades amuses himself making videos in which he threatens to fire his domestic workers if they vote for the Workers’ Party.
Department store chain co-founder Luciano Hang campaigning for Flávio Bolsonaro in São Paulo. (Photo by Caio Guatelli/AFP via Getty Images)
These are some examples of reports of electoral harassment in the workplace received in 2026 by the Labor Prosecution Office (in Brazil, this service is called Ministério Público do Trabalho or MPT). Between January 1 and October 15 of this year, the MPT recorded 1,341 such complaints, the majority of which (553) were filed in September, with another 522 recorded in October (up to the 15th). Looking at the data from September onwards, this averages nearly 24 reports received per day.
This year’s elections have already set a record: between January 1 and September 30, the MPT received 819 reports of potential electoral harassment. This figure is nearly ten times higher than the 85 complaints received during the same period in 2022. To get an idea of the increase in cases, there were 553 reports of electoral harassment in the workplace in September of this year alone, compared to 68 in 2022.
According to the Prosecutor General for Labor Affairs, Gláucio Araújo de Oliveira, this surge in reports can be explained by several factors.
“On one hand, it reveals the persistence of practices involving political pressure and coercion within labor relations,” Oliveira said in an interview with Agência Pública. “On the other, it reflects a greater awareness among workers regarding their rights, as well as an expansion of channels for filing complaints. Public awareness campaigns, the coordinated efforts of the Labor Prosecution Office (MPT) with the electoral and labor justice systems, and increased visibility of the issue have also helped to reduce underreporting.”
Lawsuits and Fines for Employers, Compensation for Workers
The trend is expected to escalate in October as the second round of voting, scheduled for October 25, approaches. During the previous general elections, instances of harassment spiked during the month the voting took place, reaching 2,641 cases. For this year, the MPT has processed data up to October 15.
São Paulo leads in the number of reports, with 224 cases, followed by Minas Gerais with 150, and Rio de Janeiro with 117. Outside of the Southeast region, the states with the highest number of electoral harassment reports include Paraná (106 cases), Goiás (59), Bahia (53), and Mato Grosso (51).
In the three cases that open this report, at least, the outcome was unfavorable for the employers. The security firm that provides services to the hospital in Acre has been prohibited from coercing its employees, under penalty of an approximately $200,000 fine should it fail to comply with the order. As for businessman Luciano Hang, the political rally he held at his store has led to a public civil action; if found liable, he could face fines of up to about $6 million. Meanwhile, influencer Rico Melquíades, should he repeat the electoral offense, will be required to pay about $60,000 in damages.
Following the publication of this report, Luciano Hang stated that he has the right to express his opinion.
“That is exactly what I did during the opening in Caldas Novas. I was speaking about the freedom to work, noting that employment is synonymous with happiness, and about the importance of working to achieve one’s goals. In that context, I shared my opinion on a proposal currently being discussed in the country [banning the six day workweek],” he said in a statement sent to Agência Pública.
“I did not speak about any candidate. I did not speak about any political party. I did not ask for votes for anyone. I did not dictate who anyone should vote for. I simply stated what I think,” he added, noting that he has faced persecution ever since he began speaking out publicly in 2018. “I respect the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Labor Affairs and I respect the judiciary. But they, too, must respect those who create jobs, invest in the country, and believe in Brazil,” Hang concluded in his statement.
How Electoral Harassment Happens
The crime of electoral harassment in the workplace tends to follow certain patterns, though reports encompass a wide variety of approaches—ranging from an automotive repair shop in Dois Vizinhos, Paraná, which began transporting its staff in a van covered in political advertisements, to a footwear factory in Bom Despacho, Minas Gerais, that opened its doors for a candidate rally and compelled employees to attend.
This is according to the study “Electoral Harassment in Labor Relations,” produced by the Labor Justice system, which analyzed 662 cases of electoral harassment between 2023 and 2025. Although published in August of this year, prior to the first round of voting on October 4, the study provides an overview of how harassment against workers occurs in factories, offices, and other professional environments.
In nine out of every ten labor lawsuits evaluated, the report identified evidence of institutionalized harassment. In other words, in these instances, electoral harassment was endorsed by the companies’ top management, involving “the use of internal communication tools for partisan political purposes and the exploitation of the workday for electoral activities (such as summoning employees to partisan meetings, motorcades, and the distribution of campaign leaflets).”
As a general rule, such harassment is rooted in psychological terror. In 81.9% of the cases evaluated, employers sought to impose their own political views on their staff by “creating catastrophic narratives based on election outcomes, such as the prospect of economic and social chaos resulting from a particular candidate’s victory.”
While this form of electoral harassment relies on terror, the medium through which these messages circulate is almost always digital.
“Social media has become a significant tool for coercion and the monitoring of workers,” states a report from the Labor Justice system. In 67% of the cases studied, the harassment took place via WhatsApp.
Another form of intimidation is economic in nature. In 61% of the cases, the Labor Justice system identified “threats regarding wages or job positions, as well as the offering of rewards and perks [in exchange for supporting a specific candidate].”
One incident that occurred in Santarém, two weeks before the first round of voting, illustrates this form of intimidation. A manager at a private staffing firm, which provides services to the state’s Department of Tourism, created a WhatsApp group to distribute messages in support of a candidate for state representative. The manager added employees to the group and pressured them to share the campaign materials, threatening those who refused to comply with the possibility of termination. On September 22, following an investigation into anonymous tips, the Labor Justice system intervened. The group was disbanded, and the manager was removed from her duties.
99% of Cases Reach a Resolution, Says the Labor Prosecution Office (MPT)
The Prosecutor General for Labor Affairs told Agência Pública that, in almost every instance, reports of electoral harassment are investigated and brought to a resolution. This was the case in 2022, when more than 99% of cases were resolved through lawsuits, conduct adjustment agreements, or out-of-court settlements.
Among the measures taken by the MPT to curb electoral harassment and safeguard the political freedom of workers during this year’s elections is the creation of an online channel for submitting complaints.
To file a complaint, one simply needs to provide the state and municipality where the events took place, describe the observed irregularities, and include information about the party being reported. If the person filing the complaint has evidence of electoral harassment, they may attach it to their submission. Complaints can be made anonymously, and the identities of those who file them will be kept confidential whenever requested.
This article first appeared in Agência Pública, was translated by Panamerican Dispatch, and can be read in its original Portuguese here.