But no answers from the ministry on plans to cost and scope the establishment of an Office of the Whistleblower

The Department for Business and Trade is changing the law to strengthen the right of people to report sexual harassment at work by making it a protective disclosure under whistleblowing legislation.

Bizarrely this measure was missed by mainstream media when the bill was published last month with most of the coverage being devoted to the measure improving employees rights in the job market and repealing some of the Tory legislation restricting trade union actions.

But there is a section of the new bill devoted to strengthening the rights of people who suffer sexual harassment at work. It proposes a three pronged attack to change the current law.

First it is strengthening the duty of employers to do something about the issue by amending the Equality Act to say they must take ” all reasonable steps ” to stop it happening.

This change has already been noted by lawyers who take up sexual harassment cases since it significantly reduces the wriggle room for employers to get out of any responsibility.

The new bill spells out what specific actions employers should take and will be further covered in regulations to be issued by ministers. These include carrying out assessments to deal with sexual harassment, publishing company policy, and drawing up reporting and complaints procedures.

The definition of sexual harassment is also extended to say “that sexual harassment has...

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