Coinciding with the Home Office unveiling its violence against women strategy, the Government Equalities Office published its response to a 2018 consolation on all forms of workplace harassment – including sexual harassment.
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It said it intends to introduce a specific duty which puts the onus on employers to prevent sexual harassment as well as measures to ensure employees have adequate legal protections when making a complaint of harassment.
This includes the introduction of a new proactive duty on employers requiring them to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent their employees from experiencing sexual harassment.
Explicit protections will be brought in to shield employees from harassment by third parties (for example, customers or clients).
General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Employers must now protect their workers from all forms of harassment by customers and clients as well as from colleagues.
That is why Labour is calling on the government to collect data on employment tribunals brought on the basis of sexual harassment. »
