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In this webinar, Charlotte helps you deepen your understanding of workplace sexual harassment and guide you through the key changes under the Worker Protection Act 2023.

Many organisations now recognise the importance of building a positive workplace culture – it’s no longer a secret that culture is a critical driver of employee engagement, productivity and business success.

Stating you take a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment implies you will follow up or even implement a punishment every time sexual harassment takes place. Before you use this phrase ask yourself, is this an ambition or a reality? Is punitive action always appropriate or possible when dealing with all forms of sexual harassment? Who does this promise serve, people who experience sexual harassment or the organisation and its reputation?

As we head towards the festive season, the office Christmas Party is often the highlight of the year for many employees. It’s a chance to get together in person, ‘let your hair down’ and mingle with team members away from the office.

The introduction of the Worker Protection Act marks a significant shift in the legal landscape surrounding workplace sexual harassment in the UK. Research we’ve carried out in our latest whitepaper suggests that many organisations may be underestimating the impact of this new legislation and overestimating their readiness to comply with its requirements.

While change is a constant in life, intentionally changing organisational cultures takes time and a focused, planned approach. Knowing what you are seeking to change and what success looks like is essential for effectively monitoring progress over time. Failure to monitor progress over time can lead to feelings of hopelessness and cause initiatives to be shelved before they have had a meaningful impact on the organisation.

Workplace sexual harassment discussions often centre around the physical and emotional costs to individuals who have experienced it, rather than the impact it can have on a business’ bottom line – perhaps because it invokes a powerful emotional response.

As the October 2024 deadline for the Worker Protection Act approached, we commissioned a survey revealing that many organisations may not be as prepared as they think. The findings, which show that 61% of respondents don’t feel fully equipped to handle workplace sexual harassment, point to a significant gap between perceived readiness and actual preparedness. This gap is a clear indication that businesses need to take a more comprehensive approach to prevention in order to comply with the new legislation and protect their employees.

So you’ve received a report on about culture-damaging behaviour in your organisation, what happens next? It’s important to clearly define your process and build trust between the reporter and your organisation. Who responds and how is a vital component for building that trust

Culture Shift has been working closely with the higher education sector since 2016, we provide a powerful online platform for reporting, support information, data analysis and sharing as well as training and community-building services.

At Culture Shift we believe that the journey towards improving your reporting processes is ongoing, and it doesn’t end with adopting a new reporting system. There are many barriers to reporting that require ongoing work to build the trust needed in your reporting routes within your organisation to increase reports of Gender-based Violence.

HR and company culture go together like bread and butter. Beyond administrative tasks, Human Resources (HR) serves as the guardian of workplace ethos. By understanding the nuances of organisational behaviour, HR can influence how company culture affects employee experiences for a more successful business.

Research shows that only 44% of people from minority backgrounds trust the police and police processes. According to Government research, 67% of White adults said that they believe the police will treat them fairly compared to 56% of Black adults. An estimated 170,000 incidents of hate crime go unreported every year in the UK. We can link this low reporting rate to the lack of trust that groups who experience hate crimes have in the effectiveness of police reporting processes. This lack of trust may spill over into your organisation’s internal reporting processes.

Many people attempting to move the dial on culture within their organisation are used to that feeling of feeling shut down, disregarded, or even ignored if change isn’t happening quickly enough.

In the fast-evolving landscape of Human Resources (HR), professionals are constantly faced with the challenge of aligning their practices with the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I).

ED&I is an ongoing business-wide strategy, not full of quick fixes and boxes to tick. In 2020, data from LinkedIn found that the UK saw a 58% increase in the number of diversity and inclusion roles available. In spite of this research by CIPD shows that half of employers don’t have an EDI& strategy in place.

We know many of you in ED&I can find it a challenge to get senior leaders to understand what you do and buy-in to your ED&I work. We know ED&I should not just be seen as a “nice to have” in an organisation; it needs to be purposeful and strategic. But convincing others of the importance and impact can be difficult. That’s why we hosted a webinar on “Building a case for ED&I that senior leaders cannot ignore” to help you do just that.

What do renowned retail and hospitality companies such as Sainsbury’s, McDonald’s and IKEA all have in common? They’ve signed EHRC’s Section 23 agreement because of incidents of and failings to prevent problematic behaviour – in particular, sexual harassment. By agreeing to EHRC’s Section 23 agreement, an organisation commits to not breaching equality law, usually in a specific area where there have been previous concerns.

Whistleblowing is often seen as the act of reporting information of malpractice that could have a detrimental impact on business and one that is seen as “in the public interest”. But it doesn’t just mean a criminal offence, fraud, financial misconduct, health and safety issues, a miscarriage of justice or the covering up of the aforementioned. It could and should be used for anything an employee sees as a failure on their employer’s part to rectify or stop, including bullying, discrimination and harassment.

For the third year running the UK has fallen down the ILGA’s LGBT rights ranking, now putting us in 17th place having led the way in just 2015. The reality is, the UK is becoming increasingly less safe for LGBTQ+ people both in and out of work as hate crimes rise, social commentary continues dividing opinions and the Government remains indecisive on their actions to progress further. And employers and colleagues who are not part of the community need to do more to create and foster a safe place for them.

How clear, consistent internal communication shapes whether employees report concerns — and why a quiet inbox isn’t proof that everything is fine.

Gen Z employees are increasingly leaving employers whose values don’t match their own. We look at conscious quitting and how organisations can respond.

Maternity discrimination is illegal yet still widespread. We share the latest research on what working mothers are experiencing, and how employers can help stop it.

What the proposed OfS regulation on harassment and sexual misconduct could mean for higher education providers, students and the broader sector.