3.1. A new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work has already come into force from 26 October 2024. Employers who fail to take reasonable steps could be subject to a 25% uplift of the compensation award in a Tribunal.
3.2. The Employment Rights Bill extends this duty and requires employers to take all reasonable steps. Regulations will be published to specify what those steps might be – for example, publishing sexual harassment policies, training of staff to recognise and report sexual harassment, and risk assessments to help minimise any risk of sexual harassment.
3.3. The Employment Rights Bill will make employers liable for third party harassment of employees during the course of their employment and where the employers has failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment on the basis of protected characteristics, including sexual harassment.
3.4. There is no date yet for when the Regulations are going to be published.
3.5. Employers should, if they haven’t already, take steps to ensure that they are compliant with the current duty to prevent sexual harassment.
3.6. To make life easier, we have a Prevention of Sexual Harassment toolkit which will give you everything you need to help you comply with the current legislation. Please click on this link to register for more information.
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