Preparing To Prevent Third-party Harassment

Whilst most businesses would not condone the harassment of their staff by third parties such as clients, customers, suppliers, pupils or parents, how proactively they seek to prevent it (and how successfully) is perhaps a more difficult question to answer. However, this is a question that HR and senior leaders will need to contend with if a new law comes into effect which makes employers potentially liable for the harassment of their employees by third parties during their employment. In this context, a 'third party' means anyone other than the employer or one of its employees.

Private Members' Bill

The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill (the Bill), which has not yet become law, seeks to introduce this protection. It is a Private Members' Bill currently awaiting the next stage of the parliamentary approval process. Alongside protection against third-party harassment, the Bill also seeks to impose a new duty on employers to prevent workplace