Changes to employment law: sexual harassment

8th October 2024

As reported in a previous post, in just under 3 weeks, a new positive duty on employers will come into force, requiring employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

‘Reasonable steps’ in this context go beyond merely having a policy tucked away in a handbook stating that sexual harassment is unacceptable. Employers will be expected to take proactive measures to prevent it.

At a minimum, this will involve conducting a risk assessment and ensuring that all staff members, from cleaners to senior managers, are aware of the following:

  • Your organisation’s stance on the matter.
  • How you will prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace.
  • How employees can raise concerns and who to.

Failure to comply with this duty can lead to a 25% increase in any compensation awarded in a successful sexual harassment or discrimination claim. Since compensation for injury to feelings in these claims is uncapped, the financial impact on your business could be severe.

To mitigate this risk, employers need to provide bespoke training that ensures employees understand what behaviour is acceptable in the workplace and the consequences of any misconduct. A comprehensive risk assessment is also crucial to identifying potential issues and preventing them.

Our employment team regularly develops and delivers tailored training to help businesses meet their legal obligations. The cost of such training can be as little as £50 plus VAT per person.

If you would like to discuss your business’ training needs and are interested in bespoke sexual harassment training for your staff, get in touch with Annie Gray at anniegray@schofieldsweeney.co.uk

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