Preventing sexual harassment
From 30 October 2026, you must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of your staff, and you’re liable when customers, clients or contractors harass them, unless you took all reasonable steps to prevent it.
- When it starts
- 30 October 2026
- Who it affects
- Every employer, whatever its size
- Status
- Confirmed in law
What’s changing
Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that violates someone’s dignity, or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. It can count even if that wasn’t the intention.
Since October 2024, employers have had a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent it. From 30 October 2026, the duty goes further in two ways:
- All reasonable steps. You must take all the steps that are reasonable for your business, not just some of them, and focus on preventing harassment rather than only reacting to it. That covers harassment online as well as in person.
- Harassment by third parties. Third parties include customers, clients, contractors and members of the public. You’re liable when they harass your staff over age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, unless you took all reasonable steps to prevent it.
What’s reasonable depends on your business: its size, its sector and the kind of work your staff do.
If someone wins a sexual harassment claim and the tribunal finds you breached the duty, it can increase their compensation by up to 25%. The Equality and Human Rights Commission can also enforce the duty, even without an incident. And since 6 April 2026, staff who report sexual harassment can be protected as whistleblowers, so they mustn’t be treated unfairly or dismissed for reporting it.
What it means for a small employer
No employer is exempt, whatever its size. If your staff deal with customers, clients or the public, then from 30 October 2026, harassment by them is your responsibility too.
In practice, all reasonable steps means having the basics in place before anything happens: a policy, a risk assessment, training refreshed regularly, a way to report it, and telling customers how staff must be treated.
An example, with made-up names. Customers at Kai’s bar often make comments to Mia about her race. From 30 October 2026, if she brings a claim, Kai is liable unless he can show he took all reasonable steps: a policy that covers customers, a risk assessment that looked at late shifts and alcohol, training on how to respond, a way to report it, and a notice telling customers how staff must be treated.
What to do now
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Write a policy
Say harassment won’t be tolerated, including by customers and clients, and explain how complaints are handled.
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Assess the risks
Look at what makes harassment more likely, such as power imbalances, lone or night working, and alcohol. Act on what you find, and review it regularly.
-
Train everyone
All staff, managers included, with refreshers at regular intervals.
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Give staff a way to report it
Anonymously if they want, and to someone other than their line manager.
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Tell customers how staff must be treated
On a notice where customers will see it, in emails or in your terms of business.
-
Record incidents and what you did
Including why you judged any step not to be reasonable for your business.
How Maravier handles it
- Your harassment policy, covering customers and clients, a risk assessment and action plan, and a notice telling customers how staff must be treated.
- A short online course for all staff and a module for managers, with completion records as your evidence. New starters get it in their first two weeks, everyone repeats it every year, and the reminders are sent for you.
- Staff can raise a concern in the app, anonymously if they need to. Concerns come to us, and your HR expert deals with them with you.
Fernside won’t see your name. Maravier will, so Rachel can follow up with you.
Send to RachelAll names are made up for the demo.
Sources
- The Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 6 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2026, regulation 3, legislation.gov.uk
- Harassment law changes, Acas
- Sexual harassment: harassment law changes, Acas
- Sexual harassment, Acas
- Preventing sexual harassment at work: checklist and action plan, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Employer 8-step guide: preventing sexual harassment at work, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace: legal action, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Whistleblowing for employees, gov.uk
Checked against the law on 8 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
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