How can employers prepare for new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment?

Please note that this guidance is currently being updated to reflect the recently released final version of the EHRC’s technical guidance.

Kick-started by the #MeToo movement, the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace has been a priority for particular sectors and industries, employers more generally and the political parties. As a result, we have seen a cultural shift in the way in which allegations of sexual harassment are viewed and handled by employers, with a move to responding to allegations in a much more proactive and robust manner. Although progress has undoubtedly been made, the last government, and indeed our new one, acknowledges that there is still work to do. Statistics would seem to back this up, with the Fawcett Society reporting in 2023 that 40% of women experience sexual harassment in the workplace.

To encourage employers to be more proactive in their efforts to reduce workplace sexual harassment, last year, Parliament passed The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act) Act 2023. This Act introduces a new, positive obligation on employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) in the course of their employment. The Act will come into force on 26 October 2024. In this update, we look at the new duty and what employers can do to prepare for its introduction. Although the new duty is not in force until October, employers will want to act now to make sure they are ready.

What is changing?

The principle that employers should take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent harassment already exists in UK anti-discrimination law. Where a person commits an act of discrimination (including harassment) in the course of their employment, their employer is ordinarily liable for that act, in the event a claim is brought, unless the employer can show that it took ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent the discrimination from arising. The defence is rarely successful in practice as ‘all reasonable steps’ is a high bar, and many employers find it difficult to demonstrate that they have taken all such steps.

Whilst the ‘all reasonable steps’ defence will remain, the Act introduces a new, positive obligation, which will require employers to put reasonable steps in place proactively to prevent sexual harassment of employees from arising in the first place in the course of their employment. Employers facing an allegation of sexual harassment will need to demonstrate the targeted measures they have implemented to comply with this positive duty to protect employees from sexual harassment. Unlike the ‘all reasonable steps’ defence, the new duty is limited to preventing sexual harassment only so does not apply to other types of discrimination or harassment.

What are the consequences of non-compliance?

Under the new Act, if an employee succeeds in a claim for sexual harassment, an Employment Tribunal will be required to consider whether the employer breached its duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and whether to uplift any award of compensation by up to 25%. The uplift will apply to any compensation that is awarded for the unlawful harassment, so could result in a substantial increase. The potential for the Employment Tribunal to apply a percentage uplift to an award already applies to claims where an employer has unreasonably failed to follow the Acas Code on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. However, the maximum percentage uplift (also 25%) is only awarded in exceptional cases. It remains to be seen whether the Employment Tribunal will take a different approach to the uplift in sexual harassment claims.

Separately, and importantly, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will have powers to enforce the duty and so will be able to take enforcement action against organisations which are in breach of the new duty.

In January 2020, the EHRC published technical guidance to help employers understand how the Equality Act 2010 prohibits harassment at work. This comprehensive guidance includes case studies and examples which you may find helpful in understanding your legal obligations. The EHRC is currently updating this guidance to take account of the new duty and on 9 July 2024 it issued a consultation on its proposed changes. The consultation period closed on 6 August 2024.

The additional draft wording to be added to the guidance states that whether an employer has taken ‘reasonable steps’ will be an objective test and will depend on the facts and circumstances of each situation. It also emphasises that the new duty is an anticipatory duty so employers should anticipate scenarios when their workers may be subject to sexual harassment in the course of employment in order to take action to prevent it.

Interestingly the draft guidance also stipulates that the preventative duty includes a duty to prevent sexual harassment by third parties, such as clients and customers, service users and members of the public. The draft guidance is clear that employers should consider the risk of employees coming into contact with third parties (in different situations), the risk of sexual harassment occurring in those situations and should take reasonable steps to prevent harassment in those instances.

As the Worker Protection Act currently stands, employers are not liable for harassment by third parties (albeit that there are circumstances where a third party’s behaviour may be relevant to a claim under the Equality Act 2010). This means that, unless this legislation is changed, whilst the EHRC may have the power to take enforcement action against an employer who doesn’t take reasonable steps to prevent this (and the impact of that should not be underestimated), it would be difficult for an employee to bring a claim against an employer solely on the grounds of harassment by a third party.

That said, in its Plan to Make Work Pay (the document which sets out Labour’s Plans for employment law reform) Labour has said that it will ‘require employers to create and maintain workplaces and working conditions which are free from harassment, including by third parties [our emphasis]’ so any reprieve from this type of claim is likely to be short-lived.

How can employers prepare for the new duty?

Many employers will already have processes in place to prevent sexual harassment (and harassment more generally) in the workplace. When the new duty comes into force in October, all employers will need to be able to show that they have reasonable steps in place to combat sexual harassment. Having a programme in place which is adhered to, and against which the organisation is measured, will make this much easier to demonstrate. Even if you already have measures in place, it is worth auditing and reviewing those measures to check that they will be fit for purpose once the new duty takes effect.

Although the duty does not come into force until October 2024, it is sensible to start to address what you need to do to comply now to make sure your house in order. Depending on what is required, the steps needed may not be overnight fixes and will take time to bed in.

Steps to consider 

1: Carry out a risk assessment in the same way as you would for other workplace risks

The prevention of sexual harassment may not be an area which you currently ‘risk assess’ but your framework for assessing other risks, for example health and safety risks, should help you in doing this. Your risk assessment should be regularly reviewed and updated.

In the draft wording for the amended EHRC technical guidance, the employer is advised to:

• consider the risks of sexual harassment occurring in the course of employment.
• consider what steps it could take to reduce those risks and prevent sexual harassment of their workers.
• consider which of those steps it would be reasonable for it to take.
• implement those reasonable steps.

It is important to remember that what is reasonable will vary from employer to employer, depending on the size and nature of the organisation, the resources available, and the risk factors which need to be addressed (both within the organisation and sector). Some of the options we outline will not be appropriate for all organisations, and some might only be suitable or feasible for larger employers.

2: Foster an inclusive culture

Prevention is always better than cure, and fostering an inclusive culture is the best preventative measure an employer can take. Creating (and maintaining) a climate of respect and inclusion within the workplace, with a clear zero-tolerance approach to harassment, is crucial to combatting the risk of unacceptable conduct. There are lots of different ways to achieve cultural change or to further embed cultural practices. Here are some suggestions:

• Visible senior level buy-in is key to success. Clear commitment from the top of the organisation to creating and maintaining a respectful workplace culture, which demonstrates a zero-tolerance approach to harassment (including sexual harassment) will be important.
• Communications on changes or updates to your policies (see below) should come from your senior leaders to demonstrate this. Reverse-mentoring schemes involving senior leaders offer another effective way of demonstrating buy-in as well as providing valuable learnings.
• Ensure that existing policies (including recruitment processes) covering harassment and sexual harassment are effective, easy to access and regularly reviewed. Encourage staff to be involved in developing policies by seeking input from representatives from different parts of the organisation and varying levels of seniority (or, if there is a recognised trade union, or employee-led networks, asking existing representatives from those bodies to participate).
• An excellent communications plan to support your approach. Ensure that your stance against harassment is visible to your staff and third parties who may have access to your workplace – whether virtually or in the ‘real-life’ workplace. Physical signage and hard copy communications may have their place alongside blogs and updates on your Intranet (or equivalent).
• Ensure your induction programme for new recruits clearly sets out and reinforces your expectations in terms of culture and behaviour.
• Run regular training for all staff on what constitutes harassment (including sexual harassment) and emphasise your zero-tolerance stance on such conduct. Make sure staff feel empowered and understand ways in which they can call out unacceptable behaviour. Refresh and roll out this training on a regular basis. Training can go further to include sessions on the use of inclusive language, for example.
• Many organisations have now established employee inclusion networks which can be a very effective and demonstrable way of supporting a healthy workplace culture.
• Consider your approach to third parties – who might your employees come into contact with – contractors, customers, clients, suppliers and where these interactions might happen – in the workplace, at work events or online for example.

3: Effective complaints handling processes

To create a culture which is visibly and credibly anti-harassment, all complaints of harassment should be handled and investigated appropriately. It is important that staff understand how to raise complaints, and crucially that they trust that their complaint will be listened to and dealt with empathetically:

• Put in place a clear reporting process for sexual harassment (and other forms of harassment). Your people should understand how to raise a complaint (which doesn’t need to involve or be against them – it can be poor behaviour they have witnessed) and how any complaint will be dealt with and by whom. Staff confidence in the process is key. To encourage a ‘speak-up’ culture, some organisations offer the opportunity to report via an App which can make reporting easier and less intimidating.
• Make sure that staff feel they can raise issues outside of a formal reporting process – manager catch-ups, return to work meetings, and exit interviews may offer such opportunities. Ensure any red flags are investigated appropriately – individuals may sometimes feel reluctant to raise an issue formally, but it is important that they have an appropriate space to share their concerns. Equally not all complaints will need to be resolved through a formal process – there may be instances where less formal routes for resolution might work better and these should be explored where appropriate.
• Provide training for those with responsibility for implementing policies and dealing with complaints (including managers, newly promoted managers and HR), so that they understand what to do when they receive a report or allegation, how an investigation will be carried out, and how they can support staff. The training should also identify red flags to look out for and investigate. Training should be regularly refreshed.
• Have specially trained staff or, where appropriate, external agencies, who are available to support colleagues who have experienced harassment and offer this support to staff who make a complaint. Similar support should also be available for staff who have been the subject of a complaint whilst the investigation process is in progress.
• Respond quickly to any complaints and ensure that lessons are learned where an issue is identified.

Even where an organisation has created a respectful and inclusive workplace and there are clear processes in place for dealing with any complaints, there are still risk factors. Often issues can arise in situations or circumstances where organisations have little control, for example during work social events (particularly if alcohol is involved), or on unofficial WhatsApp groups. Take steps to mitigate the risks associated with these situations and circumstances – for example, ahead of parties and celebrations, remind people of the organisation’s expectations on behaviour and encourage staff that they should feel comfortable to report any concerns at an early stage.

4: Monitor and evaluate progress

It is sensible both culturally and with an eye to demonstrating adherence to the new duty to ensure that the measures you put in place are monitored and reviewed, on a regular basis, to demonstrate effectiveness and ongoing compliance with the duty to take reasonable steps. For example:

• For monitoring to be effective you will need to understand the current culture within your organisation. Carry out an audit to establish where your organisation is currently ‘at’. How many live complaints do you have at any one time and what are the nature of those complaints? Are there any trends you can identify – for example do certain names come up on repeat or are certain departments or teams consistently being flagged? Does data from your exit interviews reveal any cause for concern? Check out your organisation’s reviews on the various recruitment platforms – do they ring alarm bells? What is the market perception of your organisation?
• Test the temperature of the workplace. Consider an anonymous staff survey which may reveal issues which need to be addressed.
• Update risk assessments to identify any gaps and risk areas.
• Consider the availability of new technology to improve reporting and monitoring.
• Re-test the workplace temperature regularly to make sure you are improving (or at least not getting worse!)
• Finally keep records of what you are doing – if you are ever called upon to demonstrate the steps you have taken, by either the Employment Tribunal or the EHRC, you will be in a much better position to do this if you can point to a thought-out plan and programme which is adhered to and regularly reviewed.

Wider benefits

While the above suggestions are focused on preventing sexual harassment in line with the new duty, any steps you introduce will contribute to fostering a more inclusive workplace environment. An organisation’s approach to diversity and inclusion is increasingly important in helping employers attract and retain the best talent, and enabling that talent to thrive.

A more inclusive workplace should also reduce the risk of other allegations of discrimination, by ensuring that the workplace provides equal access to opportunities and resources for all, that there are no practices or policies which might exclude certain groups and that staff are clear on the way in which they are expected to treat others with whom they work.

Further change to come?

It is possible that Labour will revisit the Worker Protection Act and the new duty. For example, it may look to extend the duty to include an obligation on employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment as well as introducing a separate obligation to prevent third-party harassment (see above). Both these points were originally included in the draft legislation before being later removed during Parliamentary debate.

Further information

The EHRC is the regulator in this area. We have discussed their technical guidance above. It also released a guide for employers, again in 2020, on preventing sexual harassment at work. This includes a detailed seven step plan of steps employers can take to ensure that they are doing all they can to prevent and deal with workplace sexual harassment. The technical guidance and employers’ guide are both likely to be relevant to compliance with the new Act, so you may want to read them to identify any gaps or issues in your current approach.

Other helpful guidance (which may also be updated in advance of the new Act coming into force) is available:

• CIPD is an internationally recognised professional body for HR, and they have many helpful resources, including guidance on tackling sexual harassment in the workplace, and a 2022 review on bullying and incivility at work, which include recommendations of best practice.

• Acas has information for employers on preventing sexual harassment.

• The Trades Union Congress has an implementation framework for preventing sexual harassment for union reps to consider, setting out practical actions of reasonable steps that employers can take to tackle, prevent and respond to sexual harassment in their workplace.

How we can help

We have extensive experience of advising organisations on equality issues. If you would like to discuss the steps your organisation should be taking in relation to the new duty to prevent sexual harassment, then please contact Katie Russell or another member of our Employment Team.

This update was co-authored by Katie Russell and Rebecca Mullins.

Five key things you need to know

Huw Cooke, Senior Associate in our employment team also shares insights into the five key things that you need to know about the new duty to prevent sexual harassment of your staff.