uk-wpa2023

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New Workplace Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment, effective October 2024

Starting October 26, 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 will introduce significant changes to the Equality Act 2010. This legislation mandates two crucial amendments:

New Employer Duty: Employers must now take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This shift in focus from redress to prevention requires proactive measures from employers to address and mitigate sexual harassment.
Compensation Uplift: Employment tribunals will have the authority to increase sexual harassment compensation by up to 25% if an employer is found in breach of this new duty. Given that compensation in severe cases can exceed £50,000, this uplift could be substantial.

Recommended Action Steps for Employers

To comply with the new regulations and foster a safer work environment, employers should:

Implement a Reporting Tool like Spot: Establish a secure register for documenting all harassment complaints. This tool will help detect trends and resolve issues promptly, ensuring that only essential personnel have access to the information.
Update Policies: Review and update your anti-harassment and dignity at work policies. Ensure these are re-circulated to all staff to reinforce the expected standards of behavior and inform them about available protections.
Revise Training Programs or implement one like Spot: Evaluate and enhance your anti-harassment training. Training should be current and comprehensive, going beyond mere tick-box exercises to meet the 'all reasonable steps' defense. Ensure it is meaningful and regularly updated to effectively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

By implementing these measures, employers can better protect their employees and comply with the forthcoming legal requirements. Once you update your policies, Spot can take care of the major lift of introducing a reporting tool and a training programme.

Why choose Spot over other solutions?

One of our key markets is the UK, where renowned companies like ASOS and Monzo trust Spot for their comprehensive case management system for incident reporting and professional training. We are also proud to count the UK Bar Council among our clients. This means that all barristers in the UK have access to Spot and are likely familiar with our system.

We offer competitive pricing and ensure we cater to all your needs, especially with the new regulations coming into effect on October 24. Our responsive customer support team and tailor-made solutions for small, medium, and large organizations set us apart.