A package of reforms has been announced by the government to tackle sexual harassment at work, including the expansion of legal protections and greater safeguards for volunteers and interns.
The new Code of Practice, which has been launched in response to the Women and Equalities Select Committee Report, aims to improve employers’ understanding of their legal responsibilities to protect their staff.
The Equalities Office has also committed to: carrying out awareness raising work with Acas, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and employers on how to prevent and address sexual harassment at work; to work with regulators to ensure they are taking action; and commission survey data on the prevalence of sexual harassment at work.
Consultations will also be launched on: non-disclosure agreements, which have in the past been used to silence individuals; how to strengthen and clarify the laws in relation to third party harassment; and the evidence base for introducing a new legal duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins said: “Sexual harassment at work is illegal, but sadly that disgusting behaviour is something that many women still experience today.
“We are taking action to make sure employers know what they have to do to protect their staff, and people know their rights at work and what action to take if they feel intimidated or humiliated.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe at work.”
The government has also promised to consult on whether additional protections are needed for volunteers and interns, (looking at all the protections in the Equality Act 2010, not just those on sexual harassment), and to explore the evidence for extending the time limits to bring any workplace discrimination and harassment case under the Equality Act 2010 to an employment tribunal.
Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst added: “It continues to disappoint me that in this day and age some women still face discrimination and harassment at work.
“One part of this is the minority of cases where non-disclosure agreements are used unethically, and employees may not be aware of their protections and rights. We will be consulting on these.”
