Sexual Harassment at Work – How to Support Employees Bringing and Defending Allegations
10.30am – 12pm Thursday 22 January 2026
Laura Donnelly, Associate Employment Law Solicitor, presents an introduction for employee advisers and Trade Union representatives on how to support employees who are bringing or defending claims of sexual harassment in the workplace.
The Worker Protection Bill came into force in October 2024, introducing new duties for employers to prevent sexual harassment of staff in the course of their employment, and this course will cover the latest developments in Employment Law as a result of this bill.
Despite this new law, sexual harassment remains a big issue in the workplace. Acas reported 5,600 harassment-related calls to its helpline between January and June 2025, which represents a 39% increase on the same period in 2024.
This free online course coincides with #MeToo Matters, our campaign to stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace.
This session will include:
- Why #MeToo Matters
- The importance of the legal definition of sexual harassment at work as defined by the Equality Act and the Sexual Behaviour Code in The Government Equalities Office Survey
- New duties for employers to prevent sexual harassment at work due to the Worker Protection Bill (2023)
- The eight steps employers must take to prevent sexual harassment at work
- The importance of a full and fair investigation and the calling of witnesses.
- Suitable remedies depending on the type of harassment
- Ensuring Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are not used to prevent employees from taking action in the criminal court, whistleblowing or reporting to a regulator.
Attendees will come away understanding the different types of sexual harassment and how to ensure a fair investigation and disciplinary / grievance outcome.
Tickets
This is an online training session via Zoom. Invites will be sent out to attendees before the event.
