New duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace

From 26 October 2024 all employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This new duty shifts the focus away from dealing with incidents after they happen. Instead, it emphasises the importance of creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment. What is "reasonable” can vary by sector and size of business, meaning it is crucial to understand what is needed in your own workplace. We can provide you with guidance and support to ensure that you can meet this important new standard.

Here is how we can help:

Sexual harassment prevention plan

We are able to offer you a complete service which will enable you to demonstrate that your business has taken steps to identify sexual harassment risks.  We will work with you to identify what reasonable steps are needed and help you to implement them.  This service includes:

• Carrying out a desktop analysis of the risk areas in your business
• Hosting listening exercises to ensure the lived experience of your workforce is considered
• Conducting a risk assessment to identify key issues to address
• Developing an action plan which is bespoke to your needs and your identified risks

Training

We have a number of courses available:

• Preventing sexual harassment (leaders & managers)
• Preventing sexual harassment (all staff)
• E-learning course: Online version for all staff, with optional manager module
• Allyship training: In-person session on being an active bystander

For more information on training options, please contact our Head of Client Training, Lucy Hendley, or see our training brochure here.
 
Consultancy services

We offer a range of consultancy services to help you identify and address risks within your business, including:

• Template survey: Pre-written survey to help identify risk areas in your business 
• Survey management & analysis: Custom-designed survey with analysis and recommendations 
• In-person consultancy: Senior HR consultant to review, prioritize, and create an action plan 

For more information please contact our Head of HR Consultancy, Lisa Farthing, or see our HR consultancy page.
 
Risk and impact assessment

Template risk and impact assessment: a template that you can use as a starting point to develop your own assessment of risks and control measures.

Contracts and policies

• Policy review – a thorough review of your existing sexual harassment and related policies, ensuring they are robust and comprehensive, and that they meet the requirements of the new duty. 
• Contract review – advice on your employment contracts and commercial agreements to ensure that both your own people and third parties who you deal with are required to comply with the new duty. 

Advice and guidance

• Advice on the new duty – we can provide you with detailed advice on how to prevent sexual harassment, as well as comprehensive guidance and support if the worst happens and you are facing a serious complaint.
• Guardians programme - we can help you to set this up as an effective way to make sure your people feel able to speak up about sexual harassment.  The programme trains members of staff to act as a Guardians – trusted individuals who can act as sounding board for colleagues who have something that they might want to share and who can signpost support available within your business. 

For more information, please contact Head of Client Training, Lucy Hendley, Karen Baxter, or see our culture training brochure for details.

Other resources

• A comprehensive checklist of steps you can follow to help you to prevent sexual harassment as work - ask your usual Lewis Silkin contact for more details.
   
• Join our webinar on 5 November – sexual harassment prevention: essential employer strategies to comply with  the new law
   
• Read our latest insight – EHRC finalises guidance on how to prevent sexual harassment

• Listen to our podcast: the new duty to prevent harassment – are employers doing enough?