Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Course Overview
Sexual harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. Experiencing sexual harassment can be
one of the most difficult situations a worker can face, however it should not be happening and all
workers are protected by law from sexual harassment.
Course Content
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 came into force on 26 October 2024, introducing a new proactive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. This shifts the legal position from a purely reactive one, where an employer could only be held liable after an incident, to an anticipatory duty requiring employers to identify risks and take action before harassment happens. Failure to comply can allow an employment tribunal to increase compensation by up to 25% in a successful claim.
Sexual harassment awareness training covers the legal definition under the Equality Act 2010: unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. This can include comments, jokes, unwanted physical contact, or requests of a sexual nature.
Sexual harassment at work training draws a clear distinction between sexual harassment, which is addressed through employment law and the Equality Act, and sexual assault, which is a criminal offence dealt with under criminal law. Some behaviour can constitute both, and this course explains how the two frameworks apply separately, though a workplace response may need to consider both simultaneously.
The course covers how allegations should be handled, explaining the importance of clear and robust policies and the role line managers typically take when dealing with these situations. It covers investigation from the employer's perspective and the practical reporting routes available to someone experiencing harassment.
Preventing sexual harassment workplace incidents matters because employers can be held liable for harassment committed by employees during their employment. The course covers the role of employment tribunals and features case studies illustrating what constitutes harassment and the outcomes where businesses failed to act appropriately.
All employees benefit from understanding what sexual harassment is and how to report it. Managers and HR staff particularly need Worker Protection Act 2023 training to understand the proactive duty and how to build it into workplace policy.
Course Duration
55 mins
Course Certification
Approved by CPD
