Dear John,

For too long, women and girls have been unsafe in the workplace.

An Opinium survey suggests 20% of the UK population has experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace.

That is more than 10 million people, a shocking number.

It is therefore right and imperative that the law changes to protect people in work. In these testing times, such legislation is more important than ever.

Today, my Private Members’ Bill on this matter has completed its Report stage and 3rd Reading in the House of Commons, before passing to the House of Lords for further consideration, then hopefully being passed into law later in the year.

This is an important step in the right direction, led by the Liberal Democrats with support across Parliament, to protect workers against sexual harassment at work.

This email will give you an insight into the background to my Bill, and what motivated me to take this important action.

The 2018 Presidents Club scandal highlighted the extent to which current law does not protect people.

In that instance, businessmen allegedly sexually harassed young female hostesses at a notorious men-only dinner, after being instructed to wear “black, sexy shoes” and black underwear.

Those women, who faced violations of their dignity, would not have had protection from the law as it stands.

Sexual harassment by third parties is a major problem in the UK. A 2017 survey suggested 18% of those who experienced workplace sexual harassment said the perpetrators were clients or customers. Some 1.5 million people have been harassed by a third party, meaning that clients or customers were allowed to harass 1.5 million workers.

Workplace sexual harassment is widespread and widely under-reported. A TUC survey suggested 79% of women do not report their experience of sexual harassment, for many reasons, including fear of repercussions, lack of awareness regarding their rights, and fear of not being taken seriously.

Those concerns are heightened for people of colour, people in the LGBT+ community, and people with disabilities, who already face greater discrimination in the workplace. It is understandable why people do not come forward.

For one, it is not just third parties who harass people, with 20% of surveyed women suggesting their direct manager or someone else with direct authority over them was the perpetrator. It therefore goes without saying that any reporting could have direct career implications for those involved.

Whether sexual harassment is by a third party or not, employers have not done enough to prevent and punish it. The Equality and Human Rights Commission found that in nearly half of cases reported, the employer took no action, minimised the incident or placed the responsibility on the employee to avoid the harasser.

It seems that the risks of reporting sexual harassment can outweigh the merits.

That is disgraceful in modern Britain.

The problem is that the current laws on sexual harassment mean employers often adopt individual responses to institutional problems. That creates space for employers to minimise what is going on, and leads to confusion about how to respond appropriately. Statistics show only 45% of managers felt supported by their organisation when reports were made to them. Ultimately, the current laws leave people who have encountered traumatic experiences unsupported.

We can and must do better.

We need a shift in focus from redress to prevention.

Currently, the question of whether employers have taken adequate steps to prevent sexual harassment arises only as a defence if an incident of sexual harassment has already occurred.

That means employers are not required to take actions that prevent sexual harassment.

Indeed, the EHRC found in 2018 that only a minority of employers had effective processes in place to prevent and address sexual harassment.

An unacceptable number of nurses, paramedics, bar staff, key workers during the pandemic, and everyone in between, are being subject to sexual harassment that causes various harms, including psychological, physical and economic harm.

Employers should be required both morally and legally to take all reasonable steps to stop sexual harassment. The fact that the law of this country does not compel them to do so is a concern and I am proud that my Bill will be part of the solution to this.

For too long, the onus for challenging sexual harassment has been on individuals. Our current laws mean employers do not know how to respond appropriately to cases, which leaves people who have encountered traumatic experiences unsupported.

Introducing a standalone preventive duty for employers will shift the responsibility from individuals to the institution.

This Liberal Democrat Bill will help prevent sexual harassment and protect victims, and it will drive a change in the culture around victim blaming.

We need workspaces where everyone feels respected and comfortable.

My Bill will be a part of starting the move towards this.