The law on sexual harassment in the workplace is about to change, imposing greater obligations on employers. Are you ready?
From 26 October 2024 employers will have a proactive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment (both from colleagues and third parties). It’s an onerous duty but the Equality Act 2010 does provide employers with a defence IF it can be shown that the employer took all reasonable steps to prevent the harassment. Question is – what “reasonable steps” are required to make use of the defence?
- A clear and regularly updated policy?
- Mandatory training for staff?
- Mandatory training for managers on how to handle and appropriately follow up a complaint?
- Taking steps to minimise the risk of sexual harassment by third parties?
- More?
If you would like to understand the new duty and the steps you should be taking now, please join Adele Martins on Tuesday 10 September at 12:30 pm when she will be discussing:
- Behaviours that amount to sexual harassment – what the case law says.
- The policy amendments you should be considering.
- How does the “all reasonable steps” defence work in practice.
- What you can and should be doing NOW to limit risk.
We hope to see you there. Feel free to extend this invitation to colleagues who might benefit from this session.
If you would like to jump straight to implementing or refreshing your workplace training (in person or digitally) please email [email protected] asap to ensure your preferred booking date.
Register here