Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act) Bill

We updated you in our Newsletter 2023 Issue 2 on the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill (here) which seeks to extend employers’ duties in respect of preventing sexual harassment (including where employees are subject to harassment by a third party – even where the employer does not have direct control over them).

We previously reported that the Bill was facing a lot of opposition in the Lords. In fact, they tabled a number of amendments which has led to the following changes:

• Plans to reintroduce employer liability for third-party harassment have been shelved; and
• The duty on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees has been watered down. Instead of employers having to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment, the amendment changes this to ‘reasonable steps’ – which should make it easier for employers.

The Bill is still making its way through parliament, but these changes make it more likely that it will receive royal assent. If so, it will come into force one year after this.