Are you providing a safe and harassment free working environment for your employees?

In case you’d forgotten or maybe were too afraid to ask, The Equality Act 2010 provides and is crystal clear that the following forms of harassment are unlawful:

• unwanted conduct related to sex or conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating that person's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them; and

• less favourable treatment because the employee has rejected or submitted to such conduct.

Employers must  demonstrate that they have and will take reasonable steps to prevent such conduct. These might include:

• ensuring that these policies are reviewed regularly;

• communicating clearly these policies to all employees;

• providing training for  all employees, including people managers and supervisors on what the organisation considers to be appropriate behaviour at work, including in relation to equal opportunities and harassment;

• having and being able to demonstrate compliance with an equal opportunities policy and an anti-harassment and bullying policy;

• ensuring that the policies are applied fairly and consistently;

• ensuring employees know how to raise issues.

If it's your business or your responsibility to look after employees it’s critically important to protect your employees from harassment of any type.

Having appropriate policies that underpin your culture  protects you from potential malicious claims, and in the event that you are subject to an Employment Tribunal, enable you to demonstrate how you run a safe working environment for all your employees.

HR Pulse can help you to ensure that you have legally compliant HR policy documents…. which are  regularly reviewed.

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