From today (26th October, 2024) employers are under new legal obligations to be proactive and take ‘reasonable steps’ to protect their workforce from sexual harassment in the course of employment, as the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 comes into force.
The key change is to be proactive rather than reactive and there is no longer a reliance on individuals reporting issues.
Organisations that employ people need to:
- Have in place clear policies and procedures that are accessible and understood by all.
- Train everyone in the new duty, tailored to your organisation, and refresh the training regularly.
- Have in place reporting mechanisms and effective governance.
- Carry out a risk assessment that addresses specific needs of your organisation.
Under the new duty, employment tribunals may award up to 25% increased compensation against employers who breach this new duty. The Equality and Human Rights Commission also has new powers to take enforcement action.
Following the success of our open masterclass on the new duties this week, we are now offering bespoke training on the new duty to organisations.
We offer the following services, tailored to your organisation, and to help you to comply with the new duties:
- Bespoke training on the new duty
- Policy and Procedures design and development
- HR casework advice
- Independent Investigations
- Proactive prevention advice
- Risk assessment support
- Crisis management / Serious Incident Response
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion training
- Leadership and Management training
- Mental Health First Aider training
For support with this, contact: [email protected]