Employers Guide to the Worker Protection Act
The Worker Protection Act 2023 is now in force, strengthening employer responsibility to actively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. It amends the Equality Act 2010 to introduce a legal duty on employers to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment - extending liability beyond office environments to remote working, social events, and third-party interactions. This guide explains what the Worker Protection Act requires in practice, where organisations continue to fall short, and what “good” now looks like under the law. Download the guide to:
Understand what "reasonable steps" now mean in practice under the Worker Protection Act
Identify where your organisation may still be exposed to legal and cultural risk
Learn how tribunals and the EHRC assess employer compliance
Build a clear framework for prevention, reporting, and accountability
.png)
More about our Employers Guide to the Worker Protection Act
The Worker Protection Act 2023 placed a preventative duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. It applies to all UK employers and marks a clear shift from responding to incidents after they occur, to actively preventing them from happening in the first place.
This guide explains what the legislation requires in practice and what employers are now expected to demonstrate. It breaks down how the duty applies across workplaces, including remote working, work-related events, and interactions involving third parties such as customers, clients and contractors. It also outlines how sexual harassment is defined under the Equality Act 2010, and how this definition is applied when assessing employer responsibility and compliance under the Worker Protection Act.
Alongside the legal requirements, the guide sets out what employers need to evidence in practice, including policies, training, reporting systems, risk assessments, investigation processes and documentation of preventative actions. It also provides a practical overview of enforcement risk, including the potential for employment tribunals to increase compensation awards by up to 25% where the preventative duty has not been met, and the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in taking enforcement action.
Download your copy
FAQs
Questions? We've got answers.
The Worker Protection Act 2023 is UK legislation that introduces a legal duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. It amends the Equality Act 2010 and focuses on prevention rather than reactive responses.
Yes. The Worker Protection Act came into force on 26 October 2024, meaning employers are now legally required to comply with its preventative duty.
Employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes implementing appropriate policies, training, reporting systems, risk assessments, and monitoring workplace culture.
The Act applies to all UK employers, regardless of size or sector. It covers employees, contractors, remote workers, and individuals attending work-related events.
Employment tribunals can increase compensation awards by up to 25% where employers are found to have breached their preventative duty. The EHRC also has enforcement powers to investigate and take action.
Employers must be able to evidence policies, training, reporting mechanisms, risk assessments, investigation processes, and records of preventative actions taken.
Culture Shift supports organisations through its Report + Support™ platform, enabling anonymous reporting, structured case management, preventative insights, and culture data to help evidence compliance and strengthen prevention.
Still have questions?
The ever-changing regulatory landscape can be tricky to navigate - we're here to guide you through what your organisation needs to do to stay compliant and protect your people.
Your partner in preventing workplace misconduct
Misconduct rarely starts as a headline issue - it starts with something small that goes unaddressed. Culture Shift helps organisations surface concerns early, respond consistently, and embed long-term cultural change through our Report + Support™ platform, trauma-informed training programmes, and community-led best practice.
