Prevention of sexual harassment – everyone’s responsibility

The law has changed and from 26 October 2024 all employers have a duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace by employees and workers as well as in relation to sexual harassment by third parties to employees, such as service users, clients, and members of the public.

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment can be verbal, non-verbal, or physical and happens when someone is subjected to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of either violating their dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It also happens if employees are treated less favourably because they submitted to, or rejected, that unwanted conduct.

What does this mean for me as an employee?

Any employee who sexually harasses someone at work, whether someone of the same or a different sex, be that a colleague or third party such as clients, service users and members of the public, is responsible for their own actions, whether sexual harassment was intended or not.

We all have a responsibility to behave professionally and to call out inappropriate behaviour. Anyone experiencing or observing sexual harassment, should speak with their line manager or Human Resources Adviser in the first instance.

What does this mean for me as a manager or supervisor

All managers are responsible for taking proactive action to prevent sexual harassment occurring at work. This includes taking a zero-tolerance approach to inappropriate behaviour, by employees or third parties and acting immediately where complaints of sexual harassment are made. Your Human Resources Adviser can provide further information and support as required.

Communications and training

Further communications will take place over the coming weeks. A key priority is to ensure all employees undertake the new Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace training module.

Meantime, if you have any queries, please speak with your line manager or contact your Human Resources Adviser