Court: Bosses cannot scold workers loudly

ROME, March 24 (UPI) -- An employer chiding a worker so loudly co-workers can hear the incident amounts to mobbing, and is illegal, an Italian court ruled Tuesday.

ANSA reported that Italy's highest court of appeal ordered a Milan company to pay damages to a 12-year employee subjected to "continuous" and "excessive" reprimands for months before being fired.

The Italian news service said mobbing generally refers to the collective bullying of workers by co-workers.

ANSA noted that last week the Cassation Court said it was legal for workers to ask bosses "Who the (expletive) do you think you are?" as long as it was an "instinctive"' reaction to being reprimanded by superiors.