Guidance to protect staff

IAN BUNTING

Employers in Airdrie and Coatbridge are being given support in protecting their workforces in the shape of new guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

In a letter to leading employers and industry groups, EHRC chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath reminded executives their employees must come to work knowing they will be “safe and protected from discrimination, victimisation and harassment of any kind”.

The new guidance explains employers’ legal responsibilities and the practical steps they should take to prevent and respond to harassment and victimisation at work.

It also provides advice for workers to help them understand the law and their employer’s obligations to prevent harassment and victimisation, or to respond to their complaint.

Building on the findings and recommendations from its “Turning the Tables” report, the EHRC’s new guidance has drawn from a wide range of experiences of harassment and expertise from a variety of individuals and employers to develop solutions that can be used in any workplace and against any form of harassment.

Rebecca said: “It is time for all employers to step up action against misconduct and protect their staff from harassment.

“It’s been two years since #MeToo forced sexual harassment to the top of the agenda. We’ve seen some employers wake up, take this on board and start to make the differences which will transform working environments and boost the economy through empowering people to reach their potential.

“But we need others to follow suit. The issue is not going to go away and if we are going to create working environments where no one is ever made to feel unsafe or threatened, then we need a dramatic shift in workplace cultures.

“No form of harassment can ever be justified and for too long the onus has been on the victim to challenge inappropriate treatment.

“By setting out legal requirements and providing practical examples on preventing and responding to harassment, we hope that our guidance will shift the burden back on to employers.”

Dame Heather Rabbatts, chair of TIME’S UP UK, added: “We are hugely supportive of the new sexual harassment guidance report which will go a long way to ensuring employers, workers and their representatives understand the extent and impact of harassment in the workplace, the law in this area and best practice for effective prevention and response.”