New guidance on tackling workplace harassment

Do you fully understand your legal responsibilities to protect staff from harassment? Do you know the 7 practical steps that every employer should take? Do you ensure that harassment by a third party, such as a visitor to a hairdressing salon, is taken just as seriously as harassment by a work colleague? Would new guidance help?

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published new guidance that explains employers’ legal responsibilities and the practical steps they should take to prevent and respond to harassment and victimisation at work. The guidance also provides advice for workers to help them understand the law and their employer’s obligations to prevent harassment and victimisation, or to respond to their complaint.

The EHRC have said:

‘All employers have a duty of care to protect their workers and will be legally liable for harassment in the workplace if they have not taken reasonable steps to prevent it. We are urging all employers to implement this guidance as soon as possible’.

The guidance explains the different forms of harassment and victimisation covered by the Equality Act. It also reiterates that certain types of behaviour such as physical gestures, jokes or pranks, banter and physical behaviour can amount to harassment or sexual harassment even if that is not how it was intended by the perpetrator.

The EHRC have also published seven steps every employer should take to ensure they are doing all they can to prevent and deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes:

• Train staff on what sexual harassment in the workplace looks like, what to do if workers experience it and how to handle complaints
• Act immediately when a harassment complaint is made
• Treat harassment by a third-party just as seriously as that by a colleague

You can download the practical steps guidance here

You can download the full guide here

You can also watch a short (one-minute) DVD about the 4 basic steps to avoid harassment, here