The changes come into force from the 26th October 2024.
In supporting the change, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have issued a press release and developed guidance for employers, with recommended actions including:
- “Developing and widely communicating a robust anti-harassment policy, which includes third party sexual harassment
- Undertaking regular risk assessments to identify where sexual harassment may occur and the steps that will be taken to prevent it
- Being proactively aware of what is happening in the workplace and any warning signs, by engaging with staff through 1-2-1s, surveys and exit interviews
- Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of actions.”
A link to the guide is - Employer 8-step guide: Preventing sexual harassment at work | EHRC (equalityhumanrights.com)
Additionally, the revised legislation also gives EHRC the powers to take any necessary enforcement action, “where there is evidence of organisations failing to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment” and allows for compensation in sexual harassment claims to be increased by up to 25%.