| Millions of workers are set to receive stronger protection against sexual harassment at work under new rules coming into force this month.Employers must take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment Bosses will be expected to act before harassment happens Simply having an anti-harassment policy may no longer be enough Employment law expert explains what the changes mean for workers Expert Verification: https://rogers-norton.co.uk/team/natalie-peacock/ |
Employers will soon be required to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their workers, rather than the current requirement to take “reasonable steps”.
And while the addition of a single word might not sound dramatic, employment law experts say it strengthens what employers are expected to do to protect their staff.
It means workers should not simply have to wait for something to happen before their employer acts.
Instead, businesses will be expected to think about where sexual harassment could happen and take proactive steps to prevent it.
Natalie Peacock, employment law expert at Rogers and Norton, said: “Significant changes regarding harassment in the workplace are due to come into force this month which employers and employees should make themselves aware of.
“At the present time, employers are required to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. Under the changes, employers must take all reasonable steps.
“The addition of the word ‘all’ strengthens the employer’s duty to prevent sexual harassment.
“Employers will be expected to take a proactive approach to prevent such conduct before it occurs and to consider all preventative measures that could be taken.”
For employees, that could mean more being done behind the scenes to stop inappropriate behaviour before they are forced to make a complaint.
Employers should consider measures including staff training, reviewing policies, carrying out risk assessments and ensuring workers have clear ways to report sexual harassment.
Importantly, employers are already under a preventative duty when it comes to sexual harassment.
Since October 2024, they have been required to take reasonable steps to prevent their workers being sexually harassed.
But under the changes coming in this month, that requirement becomes tougher, with employers required to take all reasonable steps.
Natalie warned that this means simply having an anti-harassment policy hidden away in a staff handbook may not be enough.
She said: “It is important for employers to ensure they are prepared for these changes.
“It is no longer sufficient to simply have an anti-harassment policy in place.
“They should consider conducting regular risk assessments to identify situations where and when harassment may occur and creating clear procedures for employees to report harassment.”
For workers worried about inappropriate behaviour in their workplace, the changes could therefore mean greater scrutiny of what their employer actually did to try to prevent it.
And with the new rules coming into force this month, businesses have limited time to make sure their procedures are ready.
The rules do not mean bosses can simply wait until a member of staff complains before thinking about the risks.
The focus is increasingly on prevention, including identifying situations where workers may be particularly vulnerable and considering what reasonable safeguards could be introduced.
Natalie added: “Employers will be expected to take a proactive approach to prevent such conduct before it occurs and to consider all preventative measures that could be taken.”
The strengthened sexual harassment duty comes into force across England, Wales and Scotland on 30 October 2026.
