Workplace harassment: guidance for employers

To help create a culture of respect and dignity, and make it clear that unacceptable behaviours will not be tolerated, there are some practical steps we recommend every employer should follow to minimise the chance of workplace harassment.

1. Leadership

Ensure the leadership of the organisation visibly sets out and openly communicates a zero-tolerance approach to harassment in the workplace.

This should be reflected in formal statements released by your executive leadership team and captured on your organisation’s intranet and other communications channels, such as:

• noticeboards
• bulletins
• the employee handbook

All line managers have an additional responsibility to deal with complaints of harassment quickly, effectively and without being judgemental; removing any conscious or unconscious bias to the largest extent possible.

2. Policies

Make sure all relevant policies:

• are up to date
• are made available to all employees
• clearly outline the support for individuals within the workplace

This should include the organisation’s policies for:

• bullying and harassment
• grievance procedures
• whistleblowing 

From 26 October 2024, employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers, including by third parties.

This preventative legal duty was introduced by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s technical guidance on sexual harassment and harassment at work recommends actions employers can take, including:

• developing and widely communicating a robust anti-harassment policy, which includes third-party sexual harassment
• carrying out regular risk assessments to identify where sexual harassment may occur and the steps that will be taken to prevent it
• being proactively aware of what is happening in the workplace and any warning signs, by engaging with staff through one-to-ones, surveys and exit interviews
• monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of actions

Read the EHRC’s briefing on the changes

3. Training

To make sure all staff understand their rights and responsibilities under relevant policies and legislation, all staff and managers should receive core training.

This should include modules on:

• equality and diversity
• anti-discrimination legislation (Equality Act 2010)
• guidance on the organisation’s policies outlined above

We also encourage you to make sure the topic of harassment is integrated in other training covering managing performance, communication, conflict resolution and unconscious bias.

4. Data and insights

Employers should always seek to gather employees’ insights to help inform policies and practices.

We recommend carrying out anonymous staff surveys at least on an annual basis and including specific questions on experiences of workplace harassment to help you identify business areas or teams that might be at risk.

Exit interviews offer another vital opportunity to secure relevant insights into why an individual has decided to leave the organisation, which at times might include experiences of harassment.

5. Culture

Probably the most important element to effectively address workplace harassment is to create an inclusive and supportive culture where individuals feel that inappropriate behaviours are never tolerated, and that complaints or allegations are always taken seriously and properly followed up.

We encourage you to identify a member of your HR team, as well as a senior member of your management team, who can be appointed as key contact points for employees wishing to raise a workplace harassment issue.

Your polices should clearly state the timescales and the exact process that will be followed to seek a resolution, informally and formally.

You should also make sure you always provide appropriate support such as mediation, counselling and relevant training.

There should be additional support mechanisms in place for both the recipient(s) and perpetrator(s) of harassment during the process of an informal or formal investigation.

You may also wish to consider establishing a group of trained staff as ‘champions’ who members of staff can approach with any concerns.

Your employees should feel empowered and supported to discuss issues of workplace harassment and should always be able to trust that the organisation will address any concern with transparency, objectivity and consistency.

Read our guidance for staff on understanding workplace harassment