A recent survey suggested that many employers in the UK are unprepared for the new mandatory duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. With the new provisions coming into force in just over a month – on 26 October – employers have very little time to prepare. Come 26 October, you will either have taken the reasonable steps required or you will not, and if you have not, you will immediately be exposed. Acting now or, as a minimum, being seen to think now about whether you need to act, is a likely prerequisite of compliance with this new duty.
In this webinar we will explore the key challenges and action points for employers arising from the new duty, including:
The steps that businesses should be taking now to ensure compliance with the new duty
The latest guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the new duty
Why sexual harassment in the workplace is a senior management/board level issue, including how it plays into a company’s wider culture and its environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability strategies
We will also be joined by Kim Hodge, a partner in our Perth office, who will share some lessons from Australia, where a similar regime was introduced last year.
If your business has already taken steps in this regard, this webinar should act as a useful check to ensure you are fully prepared for the new obligations. For those employers that have yet to take any action, this session will provide a useful guide on what you should be doing next.
The webinar will last 45 minutes and will be of particular interest to HR professionals and in-house employment counsel.