The AOP’s employment law team is reminding employers of their duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace
4 min read
A new statutory duty under the Equality Act 2010 came into effect on 26 October 2024, requiring employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
The Equality Act provides legal protections against sexual harassment in the workplace, and this new duty creates an additional positive obligation on employers to work to prevent sexual harassment from happening, and if it has taken place, to prevent it from happening again.
As a result of the change, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is now able to take enforcement steps against employers who fail to take action.
It also means that employment tribunals will have the power, where a claim is successful, to increase compensation awarded to the claimant against the employer by up to 25%.
These are significant penalties. It is a signal that employers can’t turn a blind eye to the possibility of sexual harassment happening in the workplace.
The AOP employment team has prepared guidance outlining the change and what it means for employers. This includes a link to guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, along with guidance from the AOP on tackling workplace discrimination and harassment.
The AOP encourages a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of harassment or discrimination.
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