Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-hands-on-her-face-in-front-of-a-laptop-4226215/
This month marks one year since the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 came into force, creating a new proactive legal duty for employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Since 26 October 2024, all employers, regardless of size, have been required to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment before it happens. The change means organisations are now judged not only on how they respond to incidents, but on how effectively they work to prevent them.
Employment tribunals can increase compensation awards by up to 25 per cent where employers are found in breach, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has powers to enforce compliance.
Early data suggests the Act is already driving change. Acas received 5,583 harassment-related enquiries in the first half of 2025, a rise of 39 per cent compared with the same period last year. While it is too early to assess tribunal outcomes, the figures point to growing awareness and willingness to report.
Further reforms under the Employment Rights Bill will raise expectations again. Key changes include:
April 2026: Reporting sexual harassment will be covered by whistleblowing law, giving greater protection to those who speak up.
October 2026: Employers will need to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment, setting a higher standard.
October 2026: Liability will extend to third parties such as customers and suppliers.
Future reform: Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) will no longer be allowed to silence disclosures of harassment or discrimination.
LimeCulture a UK-based social enterprise specialising in sexual violence, harassment and safeguarding warns that “compliance alone isn’t enough”. The organisation describes the legislation as an opportunity for lasting culture change, underpinned by strong leadership, accountability, and trauma-informed practice.
LimeCulture recommends that employers focus on embedding prevention within workplace culture. This includes:
Visible leadership and accountability at senior level.
Consistent expectations of behaviour, reinforced through policy and training.
Regular, interactive learning rather than one-off sessions.
Safe and trusted reporting channels.
Trauma-informed responses and fair investigations.
Ongoing monitoring and governance to ensure lessons are learned and improvements sustained.
The organisation says effective change depends on senior leadership. “Preventing harassment cannot sit solely with HR,” it advises. “It must be owned and modelled by those at the top.” Rising numbers of disclosures should be viewed as a sign of trust, not failure, while a lack of reports often indicates fear or lack of confidence in the system.
To prepare for the 2026 requirements, LimeCulture encourages employers to:
Review organisational culture and policies.
Simplify reporting procedures.
Train managers, investigators, and HR teams in trauma-informed practice.
Use data from surveys and case reviews to monitor progress.
