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The Bill intends to create a duty for employers to proactively prevent sexual harassment from occurring in their workplaces, and requires them to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment from third parties, such as customers or clients.
These changes will mean that women no longer have to take employers to a tribunal to ensure they deal with sexual harassment after an event has occurred. Instead, employers will need to protect their employees with proper policies and reporting procedures, and proper training for staff. Recent revelations about shocking circumstances at the CBI have highlighted the need for all businesses to review whether they are doing enough to protect employees and deal with complaints sensitively and appropriately. Not only do these changes have cross party support but they were also committed to by Government in 2021 - after extensive consultation.
Despite this, amendments introduced in the House of Lords are putting the Bill in jeopardy. What’s more they have mischaracterised the Bill and let down the women which the Bill seeks to protect. Recent reports indicate that Government no longer supports the Bill and will not be able to find time it needs in the parliamentary schedule for it to get passed into law. This is not acceptable – women cannot afford to wait any longer for safe workplaces that treat them with dignity and respect.
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