Employers to be liable if they don’t prevent sexual harassment

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Employers will held liable if they fail to take all reasonable steps to prevent employees from experiencing sexual harassment at work, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has said. The government has published its response to the 2019 sexual harassment in the workplace consultation, which includes number of commitments to protect workers from being subjected to inappropriate and lewd behaviour by colleagues and third parties including customers and clients. New legislation will make employers liable for not taking action to prevent sexual harassment at work. Organisations will be required to take reasonable, proportionate steps, taking into count their size and circumstances. Under current legislation, employers are already expected to take all reasonable steps to prevent workplace harassment, but the GEO expects this will be beefed up to include a new proactive duty on employers. Minister for women and equalities Liz Truss said: “Every woman should be able to live without fear of harassment or violence, in the workplace or anywhere else. “We have listened carefully to the experiences shared as part of our consultation and are taking important steps to strengthen protections for women in the workplace. “This package of measures will not only improve protections for those affected by harassment at work, but will also motivate employers to make improvements to workplace practices and culture which will