Firms warned on sexual harassment duties

HR and employment law firm Precept has warned companies they must put new measures in place to proactively protect their employees from sexual harassment due to changes in the law.

Under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, which comes into force on 26 October, employers will have a new duty to take positive steps to protect their workers from sexual harassment and take preventative action against it or face financial penalties or even action from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Precept’s senior associate Philip Pearson-Batt says firms should be undertaking risk assessments related to sexual harassment, and regularly review and update them on an ongoing basis.

He said: “As we enter this last quarter of the year there are some really big changes on the horizon that we at Precept think every business owner needs to be aware of.

“Under the new legislation there is a new and positive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of their workers – a shift from preventative to proactive duties.

“No employer, regardless of their size or the nature of the work they undertake, is exempt from this, so it is vitally important we’re all fully aware of what is expected.”