Skip to Navigation, Content
This new section ensures that no one is subjected to unwanted sexual conduct in the workplace, whether this is verbal, non-verbal or physical. In the Sexual Discrimination Act, this conduct is defined as sexual harassment if, based on a person’s sex, it:
The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 also include a provision that covers sexual harassment in the workplace, which protects people from being harassed on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
Sexual harassment could include:
Your employees are protected by the law against sexual harassment not only from you as their employer, but also from their colleagues and from third parties such as clients or customers. Sexual harassment could be a one-off incident or a series of incidents, and it could be deliberate and nasty, or unintended. It is treated very seriously by employment tribunals and awards in sexual harassment cases can be very high. It is also a potentially imprisonable offence.
There is no minimum period of employment necessary for your employees to be eligible to make a claim under the sex discrimination legislation, although they are likely to raise a grievance in the first instance, and it is advisable for you to try and use internal procedures to resolve any issues raised.
If you are seeking to put into practice a policy to safeguard your employees from sexual harassment, or if you need any further information regarding your obligations, Ashby Cohen can help you. We specialise in employment law cases, and our years of experience as employment lawyers make us uniquely qualified to assist you with any sexual harassment issues you may have with your employees. Please contact us for an initial free consultation.
Back to previous page or click on another employment topic from the list on the left of this page.
We are here to help you with any question, no matter how small or large...