The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recently published a summary of research that it had commissioned on harassment in the workplace. The conclusions that it sets out will be of particular interest to employers considering how to comply with the forthcoming duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This new duty is due to take effect from October this year when the relevant provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force.
The report stresses that harassment is ‘endemic’ and that women, workers with disabilities and those from ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. Harassment is often underreported and the EHRC notes that low reporting rates may indicate a workplace in which employees feel unable to report due to fear of retaliation, and that improved reporting rates can be a sign of an improving culture as employees feel more able to speak out. The structure of the workforce can also create risk, and the research found that the greatest risk is borne by workers on low wages, in precarious employment and on ‘insecure’ contracts. Hierarchical structures and male-dominated workforces are also significant risk factors.
On a more positive note, the EHRC emphasises the role that managers can play in creating a healthy workplace culture by promoting and modelling good behaviour and communicating positive values.
The research has the following practical insights for employers considering how to comply with the new duty:
- Employers should collect and analyse workforce data to better understand where harassment is occurring and where risks may exist, help develop tailored plans to reduce harassment based on the identified risks, and to measure the effectiveness of their plans over time.
- Given that harassment is widely underreported, don’t rely just on reported incidents of harassment to identify where risks lie - data can also be collected from other sources such as employee surveys, and information about staff retention, promotion, and absence levels.
- Where possible have at least two ways for employees to report harassment. This should include one internal reporting route and one external reporting route to allow employees greater flexibility and choice in how they report an issue.
- Ensure that your anti-harassment policy reflects your anti-harassment plan and that it is reviewed and updated regularly.
- Include anti-harassment goals within performance reviews and leadership development programmes. As good practice, organisations could introduce an accreditation scheme that requires leaders to meet anti-harassment objectives before they can be accredited.
- Tailor training to different groups within your workplace, make it specific to your workplace, and make it as interactive as possible as this will increase employee engagement.
The full summary can be found here: Our research into workplace harassment | EHRC
