Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected at work. But that kind of culture doesn’t happen by itself. It takes clear expectations, the confidence to speak up and a commitment to act when something isn’t right.

From October 30 2026, employers will face a stronger legal duty to prevent sexual harassment at work. With the requirements changing, now is a good time to review your current approach, identify any gaps and make sure your people have the support they need.

To help our clients prepare, Reality HR (part of the Shaw Gibbs Group) have set out nine practical steps you can take, from reviewing your policies and reporting procedures to making sure managers and employees receive the right training.

What is workplace harassment?

Workplace harassment can take many forms, and it isn’t always easy for people to recognise when a line has been crossed.

Under the Equality Act 2010, sexual harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

This could include unwanted touching, sexual jokes or comments, inappropriate messages or sharing sexual images. It doesn’t have to happen repeatedly, and the person responsible doesn’t necessarily have to intend to cause offence.

Harassment can also relate to other protected characteristics, including race, sex and disability. As an employer, you need to understand these different forms of behaviour and make sure people know what is acceptable in the workplace.

It’s also important to consider who employees come into contact with during their working day. Third-party harassment occurs when someone is harassed by a person who isn’t their employer or colleague. For example, a customer might make inappropriate comments to a member of staff, or a contractor might behave in a discriminatory way towards someone working on the same site.

Understanding these risks is an important starting point for deciding how best to protect your people.

What’s changing in October 2026?

Since October 2024, employers have been legally required to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work, including addressing the risk of harassment by third parties.

From October 30 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 strengthens this duty. Employers will need to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. It also introduces liability for any other form of harassment by third parties, unless the employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.

The steps required will depend on your business’s circumstances, including its size, resources, sector and working environment. For example, a business whose employees regularly visit customers’ premises may need different safeguards from an office-based company.

There are other changes to be aware of, too. Since April 2026, disclosures about sexual harassment have been covered by whistleblowing protections, helping to protect workers who speak up about concerns.

Employers who fail to meet their preventative duty could face enforcement action from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). If an employee successfully brings a sexual harassment claim and the employer has breached its duty, an employment tribunal can also increase compensation by up to 25%.

Further regulations are expected in 2027, but in the meantime, the EHRC’s guidance provides a useful starting point to decide what is considered reasonable steps.

Nine steps to help prevent workplace harassment

Every business is different, so there isn’t a single approach that will work for everyone. However, reviewing the following nine areas can help you understand where you are now, identify any gaps and decide what needs to happen next.

1. Review your current arrangements

Start by taking stock of what you already have in place. Do you have a clear Dignity at Work or anti-harassment policy? Do employees know how to raise concerns, and are managers confident about how to respond?

Look at employee feedback and any recurring issues to identify areas that may need attention. This will give you a clearer picture of what’s working well and where changes could make a difference.

2. Assess the risks

Think about where harassment could occur in your business and who might be affected. This could include working alone, work-related social events, contact with customers or situations where there is a significant difference in power or seniority.

Don’t forget about any previous incidents or concerns. If employees regularly work with members of the public, for example, you may need to think about how they can report inappropriate behaviour and what support is available if an incident occurs.

Once you’ve identified the risks, consider what practical measures could help prevent them. Keep your assessments under review as working arrangements and circumstances change.

3. Make prevention a leadership priority

Creating a respectful workplace starts with the example set by senior leaders and managers. People need to see that inappropriate behaviour is taken seriously, whoever is responsible.

Make your expectations clear and ensure managers understand their responsibilities. They should feel confident challenging unacceptable behaviour, dealing with concerns appropriately and setting a positive example themselves. A consistent approach from the top helps people understand that respect is an everyday expectation.

4. Make sure your policies are up to date

Your policies should explain what behaviour is unacceptable, how employees can raise concerns and what happens when a complaint is made. Check that they cover sexual harassment and third-party harassment, and that employees and managers understand what is expected of them. You may also need to consider how your business will respond if a customer or client behaves inappropriately towards a member of staff.

It’s worth reviewing how these policies are communicated, too. Having a policy is important, but people need to know where to find it and what it means in practice.

5. Encourage a culture of reporting

Employees are more likely to raise concerns when they feel they’ll be listened to and treated fairly. If they worry about being blamed, not being believed or damaging relationships with colleagues, they may decide to stay quiet.

Help build a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up, whether they’ve experienced harassment themselves or witnessed something that concerns them. Managers have an important role to play here – taking concerns seriously and responding supportively can help people feel confident that the business will act when something isn’t right.

6. Provide clear ways to report concerns

Make sure everyone knows how to report harassment and who they can turn to for support. Where possible, provide alternative reporting routes so employees aren’t left without an option if their usual point of contact, such as their line manager, is involved in the concern.

Consider how the process works for people in different roles or locations, including those who work remotely or aren’t in the office all the time. The process should be easy to understand and accessible to everyone. Employees shouldn’t have to guess where to go or what will happen when they raise an issue.

7. Handle complaints fairly and consistently

Make sure managers understand how to record complaints, when to escalate them and how investigations should be handled. Concerns should be dealt with sensitively and promptly, with appropriate support for everyone involved.

It’s also important to consider what action may be needed to prevent further incidents. Where a third party is responsible, this could mean setting clear expectations with a customer or contractor, changing working arrangements or taking further action where necessary.

8. Give employees and managers the right training

Training helps people recognise harassment and feel more confident about what to do if they experience or witness inappropriate behaviour. Managers need to understand how to respond to concerns and follow the organisation’s procedures. Employees need to know what behaviour is expected, how their actions affect others and how to report something that doesn’t feel right.

Using real-life scenarios can help bring the subject to life and give people the opportunity to discuss situations they might encounter at work. It also helps teams develop a shared understanding of acceptable behaviour.

Training should be relevant to people’s roles and refreshed regularly, rather than treated as a one-off exercise.

9. Keep reviewing and improving

Preventing harassment is an ongoing responsibility. Regularly review complaints, employee feedback, training records and risk assessments to see whether your approach is working.

If an incident occurs, consider what can be learned and whether any changes are needed. Keeping a record of the steps you’ve taken and the reasons behind your decisions will also help you demonstrate how you’re working to prevent harassment.

As your business grows, takes on new employees or changes the way it operates, your approach may need to change with it. Regular reviews help keep your arrangements relevant and effective.

Show you’ve taken reasonable steps with workplace harassment training

Training is an important part of preventing harassment and demonstrating the steps your business has taken to meet its legal responsibilities. It helps people understand what is expected of them and gives managers practical guidance on how to deal with concerns.

If your business hasn’t delivered comprehensive workplace harassment training, now is a good time to put it in place. Our Dignity at Work training helps managers and employees understand the legal requirements, recognise inappropriate behaviour and explore how they can contribute to a more respectful and inclusive workplace.

If you’ve already delivered training, it’s worth checking when it last took place and whether a refresher is due, because knowledge fades and the law changes! We recommend an annual training session to keep on top of best practice. We offer these refreshers for both managers and employees.

How Reality HR can support your business

Preparing for the strengthened legal duty is an opportunity to look at how your business supports its people and make sure the right measures are in place.

The first step is to understand your current position, identify any gaps and decide what support would be most useful.

We can deliver practical, engaging workplace harassment training tailored to managers and employees, or refresher sessions to reinforce that knowledge and keep your approach up to date.

If you have any questions about workplace harassment or if you’d like to discuss training, get in touch with our team at training@realityhr.co.uk or 01256 328 428.