A survey of 1,500 women conducted by the TUC has revealed that half of women say that they have been sexually harassed at work. The problem is even worse for younger women with almost two thirds of those aged between 18 and 24 reporting that they have suffered sexual harassment in the workplace.

The report indicates that a third of women have been subjected to unwelcome jokes, more than one in four have been subjected to comments of a sexual nature, and one in eight said they had experienced unwanted sexual touching or attempts to kiss them.

The report also indicates that the vast majority of women (79 per cent) who said they were a victim did not report it to their employer. The reasons given for not reporting include: (i) a fear that submitting a report would affect their relationships at work; (ii) a fear that making a report would impact on their career prospects; and (iii) an assumption that the matter would not be taken seriously.

Sexual harassment at work is a form of discrimination and employees who are subjected to it could bring claims in an Employment Tribunal. However, the first time that an employer may become aware of any harassment could be when an employee raises a grievance and it may already be too late to avoid potential liability. Discrimination and harassment in the workplace can also have a devastating impact on employee morale, which is not limited to the victim.

Employers should cultivate a culture where discrimination of any kind (including harassment) is not welcome and will not be tolerated. To help achieve this, they should:

  • implement policies detailing their approach to harassment and equal opportunities and the actions that will be taken if these policies are breached;
  • conduct regular training with staff on all types of discrimination and what to do if it occurs. Providing bespoke training for managers and supervisors will also help to identify potential harassment at an early stage and ensure that it is dealt with efficiently and appropriately;
  • ensure that employees fully understand their options for raising concerns and provide comfort that, if they raise a concern, it will be dealt with sensitively and confidentially; and
  • define clear consequences for any staff found to have committed an act of discrimination and ensure that these policies are consistently applied.

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