Duty to prevent sexual harassment

In February we reported on the changes to The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 which places greater responsibilities on employers to prevent sexual harassment.

This law will come into effect on the 26th of October 2024.

From this date, employers will have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment within the workplace. Where steps are seen as not taken, and such cases of harassment are taken to tribunal and deemed successful, there could be a compensatory uplift of up to 25%.

So what should employers do?

• Ensure that there are clear and robust policies and procedures in place around sexual harassment within the workplace and that these are readily available to all staff.
• Provide regular access to training for all employees, outlining what is considered acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour in the workplace.
• Create effective channels for reporting and investigating incidents of sexual harassment.

Solutions for HR can provide:

• Training for staff on acceptable behaviours at work
• Training for managers on recognising and managing unacceptable behaviours at work including training on the new sexual harassment law
• A specific sexual harassment policy

Please contact us for further information.