New guidance for employers on how to stop harassment in the workplace

Employers will welcome a new checklist and action plan from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and UKHospitality, designed to help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace by colleagues or customers.

While written for the hospitality sector, Preventing sexual harassment at work: checklist and action plan for employers can easily be adapted for use in other sectors.

The checklist and plan advise employers to consider:

• whether to make changes to the workplace environment, including, for example, work-related social events and time during shift changes
• working practices, including how to make it safe and easy for workers to report harassment, and ensuring training remains effective
• whether communications with staff about harassment issues, both orally and through posters and other means, on issues such as how to spot and report harassment, are fit for purpose.

The action plan also gives guidance on how to monitor implementation of steps taken to combat sexual harassment. The checklist has a built-in monitoring register, so employers can record when it is used.

Employers should check out the new guidance, review their sexual harassment policies, practices and processes, consult with both senior and junior staff for ideas on how to improve them to make employees feel less vulnerable and safer at work, and update them if necessary.

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More information

Download ACCA’s updated suite of employment factsheets.