Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 7. Labor and employment › Workplace safety and harassment in the Dominican Republic: committees, first aid and the new Penal Code

Workplace safety and harassment in the Dominican Republic: committees, first aid and the new Penal Code

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Changing

Companies with 15 or more workers need a joint safety committee and smaller ones a safety coordinator under Decreto 522-06. A 2026 resolution sets first aid kit rules for all workplaces with two or more workers. The new Penal Code, in force from August 2026, punishes sexual harassment in subordinate settings with two to five years in prison.

Key facts

Workers from which a joint committee is mandatory	15 workersDecreto 522-06 art. 6.1, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Minimum committee meetings	Monthly frequencyDecreto 522-06 art. 6.4.2, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Workers from which the first aid rule applies	2 workersResolución 09-26 art. 2, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum prison term, sexual harassment in a subordinate setting	5 yearsLey 74-25 art. 145, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Every company with 15 or more workers forms a joint safety and health committee, and smaller ones name a coordinator with similar duties.Decreto 522-06, art. 6.1, 2006-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. At least two people represent the workers and the employer on the committee, and the company must have a prevention technician as adviser. The committee meets at least monthly and sends minutes to the Dirección General de Higiene y Seguridad Industrial.Decreto 522-06, art. 6.2 and art. 6.4.2, 2006-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Employers must plan prevention, control risks, give instructions and supply protective equipment at no cost to the worker.Decreto 522-06, art. 7, 2006-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Resolución 09-26 applies to all workplaces under the code with two or more workers. Kits of type A, B or C depend on risk class and workers per shift, centers with over 300 workers or high cardiac risk need a defibrillator with at least two trained people per shift, and each employer names a trained first aid lead.Resolución 09-26, art. 2, art. 11, art. 16 and art. 18, 2026-04-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: New in 2026. Six months to comply from publication on the Ministry's portal.

5. The employer is civilly liable for harm from work accidents without any need to show fault.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 725, art. 726 and art. 727, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Occupational risk insurance covers work injury and illness and is funded only by the employer. A failure to register or report leaves the employer liable for lost benefits.Ley 87-01 as amended, art. 190, art. 199 and art. 203, 2001-05-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Employers cannot carry out acts that may be seen as sexual harassment, or support or fail to step in when their representatives do so.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 47, item 9, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Sexual harassment is punished with one to two years in prison, a fine of three to six public sector minimum salaries and follow up measures. In a relation of power or subordination such as work, it is two to five years and a fine of nine to 15 public sector minimum salaries.Ley 74-25, Código Penal, art. 145 and Paragraph II, 2025-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Sexual harassment at work gives the right to a justified resignation under labor law, along with any other claim.Ley 74-25, Código Penal, art. 145, Paragraph III, 2025-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. General harassment by repeated pursuit or pressure is punished with one to two years. It is aggravated, at two to five years under the amended text, when it happens within a work relation or when the victim is dependent or subordinate.Ley 74-25 art. 143 and 144; Ley 44-26, art. 144 as amended, 2026-07-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 44-26 changed the aggravated term from two to three years to two to five years before the code came into force.

11. Ley 74-25 entered into force twelve months after promulgation, and Ley 44-26 took effect with it. Corporate criminal liability articles 8 to 11 run from three months after 5 August 2026.Ley 74-25 art. 393; Ley 44-26, art. 30 and art. 31, 2026-07-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Conduct	Prison	Fine in public sector minimum salaries
Sexual harassment	1 to 2 years	3 to 6
Sexual harassment by electronic means	2 to 3 years	Not stated in Paragraph I
Sexual harassment in a power or subordinate relation	2 to 5 years	9 to 15
General harassment	1 to 2 years	3 to 6
Aggravated harassment, including at work	2 to 5 years	9 to 15

Ley 74-25 as amended by Ley 44-26

Worked example

A warehouse with 18 staff needs a committee of at least two worker and two employer members, a prevention adviser, monthly minutes sent to the Ministry and first aid kits fixed by its risk class.

Step by step

Classify the risk of each site.
Form the committee or name a coordinator on the official form.
Run monthly meetings and send minutes.
Buy kits and train the first aid lead under Resolución 09-26.
Adopt a harassment policy with a reporting channel.
Investigate any report, since art. 47 reaches failure to step in.

Common traps

The 2023 draft to replace Decreto 522-06 was only a consultation, and we did not find it adopted.
Decreto 522-06 says 15 or more workers, while some commentary says more than 15. Use the decree.
A worker resigning over harassment has 15 days from the right arising and 48 hours to report, under arts. 98 and 100.
A new occupational risk regulation, Decreto 287-26, was reported in May 2026. We could not reach its official text, so confirm details with IDOPPRIL.
Fine amounts use a public sector minimum salary we could not confirm from an official source, so no peso figures appear here.

Sources

← Foreign workers in the Dominican Republic: the 80% rule, contract registration and migration finesLabor inspections, claims and penalties in the Dominican Republic: short deadlines, fast courts and fines in minimum salaries →

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