The New Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: How Much is Enough?

The Worker Protection (Amendment of the Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 will take effect from October 26th, 2024. It will require employers to take reasonable measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, including harassment from third parties. Known as “preventative duty,” this DWF report examines the implications of the act within organisations and tackles the question not of where to begin but of how much is enough.

Key takeaways include:

• Three in five women say they have experienced harassment at work – rising to almost two in three women aged 25 to 34.
• If an employer is found not to have met the preventative duty, compensation in claims can be increased up to 25 percent.
• The new duty allows employers to recalibrate, put workplace culture at the forefront of their business strategy and reap the rewards.