Preventative duty | Upcoming changes to sexual harassment legislation - everything HR needs to know

With the Worker Protection Act set to come into effect on October 26th, HR professionals and business leaders across the UK must act quickly to ensure they are compliant with the new requirements.

Despite the major impact the change will have on employers, a study by Culture Shift ahead of its implementation revealed that nearly half of UK businesses (45%) were unaware of the legislation’s impending arrival, exposing significant gaps in readiness for the changes to sexual harassment laws.

The Worker Protection Act amends the Equality Act 2010 and introduces a proactive legal duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This is a departure from previous laws, which did not obligate employers to pre-emptively protect employees. Employers now face more stringent expectations and potentially severe consequences if they fail to fulfil this duty, including the possibility of additional compensation in sexual harassment claims.

Understanding the new requirements

“Companies that are found guilty of failing to protect employees from workplace sexual harassment face severe consequences,” says Gemma McCall, CEO of Culture Shift. “Beyond the immediate financial burden of compensation payments, potential fines, and legal fees, companies can suffer a range of additional negative commercial and reputational impacts.”