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ARTICLE · 14 OCTOBER 2024

Sexual Harassment – The Preventative Duty

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
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Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

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The Worker Protection Act 2023 introduces a duty on UK employers to proactively prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties. Key compliance steps include risk assessments, updated policies, training, and complaint handling.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Ellie Serridge
Ellie Serridge
David von Hagen
David von Hagen

Summary

After a slightly extended summer break, we return with a summary of the new sexual harassment rules due to come into force in just over two weeks.

Background

The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 was introduced last year. Despite its generic title, the act is concerned entirely with sexual harassment, specifically the introduction of a positive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. In August 2023 the act went through a couple of amendments at the House of Lords stage, where liability for third party harassment was apparently removed and “all reasonable steps” to prevent harassment was replaced with “reasonable steps”.

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