How sexual harassment can be avoided
Over the past year or so we’ve seen increasing number of high profile cases of sexual harassment and misogyny within media, government, police, NHS, fire service and in business.
According to a survey by Randstad in 2022, majority of women had encountered/witnessed inappropriate behaviour from male colleagues at work.
The extent of sexism, misogny and toxic culture was laid out in the Covid enquiry in November and highlighted the depth of sexism within Downing Street.
Whilst there is greater awareness following MeToo movement and reporting of incidents how much change has happened within workplaces?
According to a recent poll by TUC, 3 in 5 women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work. This jumps to 2 in 3 young women aged 25 to 34 years old.
And the same poll also highlighted the low level of reporting such incidents to their employer. Only a third of women who experienced harassment reported it to their employer. Reasons for not reporting included fear of it not being believed or taken seriously and/or missing out on career opportunities.
In a separate survey by Fawcett Society, 4 in 5 workers do not report sexual harassment to their employer and prevalence of sexual harassment is much higher for disabled workers and workers from an ethnic minority background.
But what are the consequences of not taking action?
The duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace has been law since October 2024 and from October 2026 the legal bar will be raised significantly higher for employers requiring them to take “all reasonable steps”.
If your business doesn’t take preventative measures to address sexual harassment in the workplace, it can lead to:
📈 Increased staff turnover = costs associated having to go out to recruit are around £35,000 per role!
💷 Increased risk of litigation- workplace discrimination costs employers £127 billion
📰 Damaged reputation- you only need to watch the news to see how taking your foot off the pedal when it comes to dealing with inappropriate behaviour can damage a businesses’ reputation.
❌ Not winning contracts or investors pulling out.
So what can employers do to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace?
It requires a change in culture from the ground up:
Evidencing where the risks of sexual harassment are higher
Ensuring risk assessments are specific to the sector, role and working environment
Delivering targeted, bespoke training for employees and managers
Recording, monitoring and documenting the actions being taken as an organisation
Having easy-to-use, well-publicised reporting channels employees feel confident using including anonymised reporting
Leadership accountability: senior managers role modelling the right behaviour and challenging the wrong behaviour
What action are you taking to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace?
Book a call and grab a cuppa and chat with us about how Inclusion 365 can support your organisation to get this right, avoid potential tribunal/legal costs and create an organisational culture that promotes fairness and respect in the workplace.
