Is your organisation ready for the new sexual harassment law?

“You can’t say anything these days”

This month sees the amendment of the Worker Protection Act, increasing protection for workers from sexual harassment in the workplace. The law will put the responsibility on the employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment at work. 

Now, it is not enough to have a policy buried somewhere on your shared drive, or a workshop that was done four years ago. It is time to take this seriously and the first step is to raise awareness and educate everyone in the workplace. 

Is everyone clear what harassment looks like? How is it reported in your company? How safe do people feel to report it? What training has been given? If you are still hearing comments like ‘you can’t say anything these days’ then you are doing it wrong. Training for sexual harassment shouldn’t feel like a lecture, it should feel more like empowering allies in the workplace. 

Laws have been in place for 40 years on this subject, however the cultural landscape is shifting. The MeToo movement, the recent Al Fayed allegations, and even the Spy Cops scandal have brought this topic to the forefront and it’s not going away anytime soon. 

So, for all the leaders reading, instead of focussing on 'what you can't say', think about 'what you can say' when it comes to educating and training your team members in making your workplace a safer and better place to be. 

If you’d like to enquire about my Women’s Leadership Programme that supports the development of women in your organsiation, then email: vicki@thewellbeingfocus.co.uk.