The Worker Protection Act, 2023 represents a significant shift in how sexual harassment is addressed within UK workplaces, marking a transition to a collective responsibility model where the focus is on continuous monitoring and early intervention as opposed to responding after the fact.
Effective October 2024, employers will be mandated to adopt an “Employer’s Preventative Duty,” requiring proactive measures to eliminate sexual harassment. This approach echoes recent legislative trends across Australia, the EU, and several Asian countries, emphasising the necessity of a systemic approach towards preventing harassment before it occurs. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will gain enforcement powers to ensure compliance, marking a pivotal change in workplace culture and accountability.
According to research published in May 2023 by the TUC, three in five women in UK workplaces have encountered bullying and harassment, with almost two-thirds of women aged 25 to 34 reporting experiences of sexual harassment. This alarming statistic underscores the pressing need for comprehensive reform as existing compliance measures clearly are not achieving the goal of creating safe workplaces.
Many countries now favour proactive measures at an institutional level to eliminate the causes of harassment rather than merely reacting after incidents occur. This shift aligns with international standards, as exemplified by the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 190, which aims to prevent violence and harassment in the workplace. So far, 44 countries have ratified this convention, reflecting a global commitment to fostering safer work environments.
The legislation does not provide specific guidance on what employers are required to do to meet the standard of preventive action. To support companies through this transition, Symmetra has identified seven essential pillars of the Preventative Duty designed to address the requirements to combating sexual harassment and other forms of inappropriate behaviour.
This series of articles each address one of the seven pillars with practical guidelines to ensure your organisation not only meets but exceeds the requirements of the positive duty.
For over 20 years Symmetra has been working with organisations to strengthen their ability to prevent, and respond to, inappropriate behaviours. This includes responding to the implications of the preventative duty in Australia and other jurisdictions across the APAC region. We work with clients to formulate a broad menu of policies, practices and capability building to bring about cultural changes in organisations so that you can meet and exceed compliance requirements.
Our experts will analyse your company’s readiness for proactive workplace harassment prevention for employees through 7 best practice pillars and create a comprehensive plan of action to address gaps .
High impact programs to build the capability in leaders and teams to become active allies of everyone around them and speak up against acts of exclusion and harassment. A respectful and safe workplace is everyone’s right and responsibility. Potential programs can focus on four key audiences, including: Leaders of Business, Leaders of Teams, Leaders of Self and Agents of Change.
Our scalable e-learning and digital tools ensure that every member of your organisation understands their rights, obligations and values-based expectations and will form as well as nudges the formation of healthy inclusion habits to create respectful and safe workplaces.
• eLearning, Self-paced
• 10-15 minutes
• Designed for individual team members
• No Pre-recs