As new legal obligations under the The Worker Protection Act for employers to take reasonable steps to protect their workers from sexual harassment in the workplace come into force, leading e-learning provider High Speed Training have seen a steep increase in demand for sexual harassment courses.

In the months leading up to the new legislation, which came into force on 26th October 2024, High Speed Training saw average monthly demand increase by over 300%, with October demand alone increasing by 540%.

The UK’s Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 is an amendment to the existing Equality Act 2010 and is in force from October 26th 2024.

The new Worker Protection Act states that all employers must take ‘reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment’. This puts the onus on the employer to take action against inappropriate conduct in the workplace. It also gives workers more protection, rights and support should they experience sexual harassment when at work, this includes third party harassment.

Dr Richard Anderson, Head of Learning & Development at High Speed Training said: “As the Worker Protection Act comes into force, it is essential for businesses to take the steps to prevent sexual harassment in their workplaces, not just due to the legal requirement, but to truly take care of their employees. Employers need to put measures in place to empower workers to speak up about sexual harassment and recognise that their employer takes their concerns and report of harassment seriously.

“Our training equips employees and employers with the knowledge to recognise and address inappropriate behaviour. The rise in demand that we are seeing for our sexual harassment training demonstrates that workplaces are increasingly committed to fostering work environments where employees feel protected, valued and empowered to speak up against harassment.”

How Can Employers Take Reasonable Steps to Prevent Sexual Harassment?

1. Conduct a sexual harassment risk assessment – identify any potential risk areas, review past incidents of sexual harassment and evaluate how employees currently act and feel about sexual harassment in the workplace.
2. Review existing harassment policies – Your business will likely already have a formal bullying and harassment policy, check what it says and ensure it includes a section containing the definition of sexual harassment, examples of sexual harassment in the workplace and guidance for employees on what to do if they experience sexual harassment at work.
3. Educate the workforce about sexual harassment – Employers should provide all members of staff with regular training so they can recognise inappropriate behaviours, prevent them from happening and understand what to do to address and report sexual harassment should it occur. High Speed Training offer Sexual Harassment Training Course For Managers and Supervisors and Sexual Harassment Training For Employees.
4. Establish a ‘speak up’ culture and remove barriers to reporting harassment – Having a clear and simple reporting procedure in place is also a key ‘reasonable step’ towards preventing sexual harassment – remember to document your procedure should you need to prove this.
5. Set the tone from the top down – Everyone at all levels of the business should be trained in sexual harassment so they feel confident to challenge it and speak up about it. Managers and senior leaders should promote a culture of dignity and respect, set the tone for expected behaviour and challenge ingrained attitudes that are known to be problematic.

For more on this topic, and many other free articles and resources, visit the High Speed Training Hub.