What new protections will there be against harassment at work?

The Act strengthens employers' duties to prevent harassment in the workplace. The main changes described below are due to come into force in October 2026.

Employers will be required to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers in the course of employment. This raises the standard from the previous duty to take reasonable steps and places greater emphasis on preventing harassment before it occurs.

The Act also introduces new protections against harassment by third parties, such as customers, clients, patients, service users or members of the public. Employers will be expected to take reasonable steps to protect workers from this type of harassment where there is a risk that it may occur.

Employers should review their policies, risk assessments, training, reporting procedures and workplace culture to ensure they are meeting their legal obligations. Where they fail to do so, this may be taken into account by an employment tribunal.

The reforms are intended to encourage employers to take a proactive approach to creating safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces.

What this means for union reps

• Reps have an important role in ensuring employers take practical steps to prevent harassment, rather than simply responding to complaints after incidents occur.
• Employers should have effective policies, reporting procedures, training and risk assessments in place, and reps should work with them to identify and address risks.
• Workers who experience harassment by colleagues, managers or third parties should be encouraged to report concerns and seek support from their union at an early stage.
• Preventing harassment should form part of wider workplace discussions on equality, health and safety, dignity at work and organisational culture.