One year on from the introduction of the Worker Protection Act, employers are reflecting on how well they’ve adapted to its requirements. This legislation places a duty on employers to take proactive and reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, not only from colleagues but from third parties such as clients, contractors and customers.
This first year has highlighted that compliance is more than having a policy in place. It is about employers demonstrating the steps they have taken to prevent and have effective systems and monitoring in place.
Below are some actions employers can take to ensure this not only compliance but proactive in creating a safe and respectful work environment.
What do we recommend?
- Reviewing and reissue your anti-harassment policy
Ensure all employees refresh their understanding of the policy. This demonstrates compliance and reinforces expectations and responsibilities across the team.
- Track date issued and when reread
Keep a record of when the policy is reissued and when it has to be read – either manually or through a HR system. - Provide annual anti-harassment training
Ask employees to complete anti-harassment training annually, even if done it previously.
This keeps definitions, reporting routes and expectations fresh in their minds, whilst ensuring consistency across managers and teams.
- Conduct and review risk assessments
If not already in place, it’s good practice to complete a risk assessment to demonstrate the proactive steps your organisation is taking. If one is already in place, it is worthwhile to review this annually or whenever new risks arise.
- Anonymous Feedback Mechanisms
Give employees the opportunity to share feedback or raise concerns anonymously. This helps provide insight into workplace climate and can hopefully reveal any issues before they escalate. We support clients in demonstrating this through an Employee Reporting Form. This additional service would be managed by us and provides a straightforward way for employees to raise concerns before they develop into larger issues.
If you’d like to explore how we can help to strengthen your company’s compliance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to arrange a time to discuss this further.
