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Labor Law

Can an employee in Israel claim compensation for sexual harassment at work without proving damages?

Yes. Section 6(b) of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law 5758-1998 allows a court to award compensation without the claimant proving any damage at all, up to a statutory ceiling of NIS 120,000 before index linkage, which stands at roughly NIS 145,000 once linked (2026). The claim is heard in the Labor Court whenever the harassment arose in an employment setting, and it can run against the harasser, the employer, or both. An employer that failed to publish a bylaw, appoint someone to receive complaints, or investigate properly is liable in its own right. Proof of financial loss matters only where the claimant seeks more than the statutory sum.

The Law defines harassment broadly and then attaches two distinct heads of liability. Alongside sexual conduct, it covers prejudicial treatment (hitnaklut) directed at someone because they rejected an advance or complained about one, which is often the part that produces the strongest evidence. Section 6 gives the victim a civil claim against the harasser, and Section 7 makes the employer liable for harassment by one worker against another where the employer did not take the preventive and remedial steps the Law and its regulations require. Criminal proceedings and internal disciplinary action can run in parallel without displacing the civil claim, and the Regional Labor Court holds jurisdiction where the events arose out of employment.

Foreign nationals working in Israel are inside the Law's protection, including work-visa holders and contractors present at the site, and a claim does not require the claimant to speak Hebrew. The employer's own investigation file usually becomes the central document, so a complaint made in writing and kept on record is worth far more later than a verbal report to a manager. Awards in practice tend to land below the ceiling and reflect the seriousness and duration of the conduct as well as how the employer responded. A release letter signed on termination does not automatically extinguish the claim, and our guide to sexual harassment in the Israeli workplace sets out the complaint route in full.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Sections 6 and 7, Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law 5758-1998, with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (Employer's Duties) Regulations 5758-1998
  • Competent authority: the Regional Labor Court (Beit Din Ezori LaAvoda) where the events arose out of employment; the Magistrates' Court otherwise
  • Compensation without proof of damage: statutory ceiling of NIS 120,000, index-linked to approximately NIS 145,000 (2026); a claimant proving actual loss can seek more
  • Employer duties: an employer with more than 25 employees must publish a bylaw (takanon), appoint a person to receive complaints, and investigate without delay
  • Coverage: applies to foreign nationals, work-visa holders and contractors at the workplace, not only to Israeli employees
  • Parallel tracks: criminal proceedings and internal disciplinary action can proceed alongside the civil claim in the Labor Court

From the full guide: Sexual Harassment in the Israeli Workplace: Rights and Remedies

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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