Connect Three recently hosted a webinar with The Consent Collective to discuss the implications of the upcoming Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023. This new legislation, set to take effect on 26th October introduces a positive legal obligation on employers to take reasonable steps to protect their workers from sexual harassment.

What is the New Act?

The Act aims to create a safer working environment by requiring employers to proactively prevent sexual harassment.  Employers who fail to comply with these obligations may face legal consequences, and after the act comes into force, employment tribunals will have the power to increase compensation for sexual harassment by up to 25%. 

What is an organisation responsible for?

In short, employers must take steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers in the course of their employment.  Sexual harassment can be any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that violates a worker's dignity or creates a hostile, degrading, or offensive environment.  What’s important to note is it is not just physical contact – so people working from home as well as together in an office can be affected.

Employers must also address sexual harassment by third parties which means that if your team work on client sites, or attend events, or host clients at your premises, all of this needs to be taken into consideration when implementing ‘reasonable steps’.

When are Reasonable Steps?

What is clear from the consultation is that employers can not wait until an incident has taken place before they take any action.  They need to take reasonable steps to prevent any harassment from happening in the first place.  These will vary depending on factors like the employer's size, industry, and working environment.  There are no specific criteria an employer must meet.

Nina from the Consent Collective says “A great first step can be a risk assessment.  It’s a simple way into the process, and it can highlight what the reasonable steps may be for that organisation.”

What Does Connect Three & The Consent Collective Suggest?

Over the course of our recent webinar, we covered what we believe the two key things are that organisations should consider improving: positive culture and skills education.

Upskilling your people may not be the first thing that comes to mind when trying to mitigate sexual harassment in your workplace, but by educating your team about compassion and empathy, you can have a huge impact on their interactions and overall environment.

One key aspect is training people on giving and receiving feedback.  When people can have open conversations, and alert others to when something makes them feel uncomfortable, it can be an effective preventative measure and can help to build psychological safety. Often when we work on ‘feedback skills’, we link it to performing tasks or their job role, but it’s also about linking feedback to feelings of inclusion and safeguarding across the workplace.

As Katy says, “There will be a really positive ripple effect that will come from doing this work within organisations.  By giving people the right skills and the behaviours to mitigate sexual harassment, they will be able to handle other challenges and create a positive workplace for everyone.”

What is Connect Three Doing Internally?

A great question that came from the webinar, is what does this mean for Connect Three, and what are we doing as a result of the act?

We invest a lot into our culture and we're really proud of it, but just because we are taking positive steps for our people every day, we can’t just assume that no harm will come.  We can’t just rely on a healthy culture as there is no guarantee that everyone experiences our workplace in the same way.  So, like every other business, we need to be proactive and perform our own risk assessments to comply with the new legislation, and we’re viewing it as a great opportunity to make sure that we strengthen the commitment that we have to our people.

Key Take Aways from our Webinar

• Creating a Safe Culture: Beyond legal compliance, organisations should foster a culture of respect and inclusivity to prevent sexual harassment.  By viewing this new legislation as an opportunity to strengthen workplace culture and prioritise employee well-being, organisations will see positive impacts throughout their culture.
• Essential Skills for Employees: Employees need to be equipped with skills like effective communication, feedback skills, and empathy to contribute to a safe working environment.  By investing in training, education, and a supportive environment, organisations can effectively protect their workforce and create a more inclusive workplace.
• Take Action Early: By taking proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment, employers can create a safer and more positive workplace for their employees.

Watch the full webinar here

Would you like to learn more about how Connect Three can help your organisation implement the new Worker Protection Act?  Email today

Get in touch with Connect Three to find out more about building workplace cultures or register your interest for harassment-free workplace membership with the Consent Collective.