Sexual harassment – are our learners in the workplace safe?

Did you know that half of women say they have been sexually harassed at work - and most admit to not reporting it? Are your staff confident to report it if it happens to them? Are your workplace learners safe in their place of employment? Do you know the top ten myths on sex discrimination? Did you know that Acas have released new guidance on what constitutes sexual harassment, in response to the high-profile cases of abuse and allegations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual attacks by stars of showbiz?

This year, sexual harassment at work returned to the headlines after a newspaper reported a number of sexual harassment allegations against US film producer Harvey Weinstein. It triggered a significant number of further allegations of sexual assault and harassment against stars of showbiz and politicians.

Research carried out by the TUC suggested more than half of women say they have been sexually harassed at work - and most admit to not reporting it. It found that in nine out of 10 cases the perpetrator was male, and nearly one in five women (17%) said it was their line manager or someone with direct authority over them. Reasons given for not reporting the harassment included embarrassment (20%), fear they would not be taken seriously (24%), or that reporting it would affect their relationships at work (28%). Men can also experience workplace sexual harassment.

One of the challenges for education providers is to ensure that learners in the workplace are kept safe from such harassment. Making sure that the employers we work with have robust E&D practice in place, including small SMEs, is one way. Another is to raise employer awareness of their legal equality responsibilities and to update them on new guidance as it becomes available.  

The new Acas guidance contains examples of how sexual harassment can happen at work such as:

Written or verbal comments of a sexual nature such as remarks about a colleague’s appearance, questions about their sex life or offensive jokes;

• Sexual comments or jokes - in person or via email;
• Displaying images of a sexual nature - for example, a topless calendar or picture which is offensive;
• Sending or forwarding on emails that contains content of a sexual nature;
• Unwanted physical contact and touching and sexual assault.

The guidance makes clear that anyone who experiences sexual harassment at work is protected in the UK by the Equality Act 2010.

For many providers, apprenticeships is a growth area, yet they often ‘behind’ in integrating and promoting E&D and British values when comparing workplace to classroom-based learning. ‘Outstanding practice in Equality, Diversity and British Values in WorkPlace Learning’ is a training workshop that focuses specifically on workplace learning. It considers how we can ensure robust E&D checks with new employers in the same way that we assess health and safety practice. It explores all areas of the learner journey, for example IAG, sign up (enrolment), induction, performance analysis, assessment visits and progress reviews. It explains how assessors and other staff involved in workplace learning can genuinely raise awareness and promote E&D and British values, rather than take a tokenistic or ‘tick-box’ approach. Taking place on 27 Feb 2018 in London, on behalf of the AoC, this workshop is updated with the very latest findings from Ofsted.

You can find out more information or register for the event here

You can view or download the new Acas guide ‘Sex discrimination: key points for the workplace’ here

You can download ‘Sex discrimination: top ten myths’ here .

You can download Acas ‘ Sex discrimination: obligations for employers fact sheet’ here