Talking Employment Law: What does the new Worker Protection Act 2023 mean for employers?

From October 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 will strengthen existing protection for workers against sexual harassment. This new law will place a new duty on employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment. Tribunals will have the power to increase compensation by up to 25% if they find an employer has breached this duty.

In the next instalment of our ‘Talking Employment Law Podcast’ series, Lucy Densham Brown and Shauna Jones, members of the employment team at Clarkslegal, will review the new law and provide some guidance on how employers should review their policies in preparation for October. This includes:

• Understanding sexual harassment
• Current employer obligations
• Explaining the new law and its differences
• Employer liability and employee remedies following harassment
• Preventing third parties not under the same control as employees from engaging in harassment
• Anticipated steps that employers might need to take
• The consequences of failing to fulfil this duty

If you are an employer and have any queries or concerns about the implications of the new Workers Protection Act 2023, please contact our employment team, who would be happy to assist you.