It has been confirmed by the government that there will be a change in harassment laws. There will now be a mandatory duty by employer to protect their employees from sexual harassment. This will be further extended to harassment from third parties.
However, there is likely to still be a defence for employers if they can prove that they have taken “all the reasonable steps” to prevent any harassment, from other employees to third parties. As of yet there have not been any confirmed details on what these reasonable steps will be.
Furthermore, there are plans to extend the time frame for bringing claims forward under the Equality Act 2010, the government has suggested an increase in time limit to six months to allow a more appropriate course of action to be followed.
If you have any questions on any of the above, please get in touch with the office: sally.phillips@wardwilliams.co.uk or call 01932 830664.