Addressing sexual harassment in workplace
Sexual harassment in the workplace remains a serious and deeply damaging issue that affects individuals and organisations across all industries. Despite greater awareness, many employees still do not feel safe or supported when reporting inappropriate behaviour.
For HR teams, they have a responsibility to all their employees to effectively tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, not just for compliance for but for cultural responsibility. Creating a workplace where all employees feel safe, respected and heard requires clear policies, proactive training, and tools that support transparency and accountability.
What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, comments, gestures, physical contact, or any behaviour of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. It can make someone feel intimidated, degraded, humiliated or offended and can be experienced verbally, non-verbal or physical and may occur in person, online or via messages.
The UK’s Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to harass someone based on sex or gender, and employers are legally responsible for preventing and addressing this behaviour in the workplace. According to the law, sexual harassment is:
“Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.”
If a person sexually harasses another in the workplace, this can constitute a legal offense under the Equality Act 2010. Even if the behaviour was meant as a joke or wasn’t intended to cause harm, it can still be sexual harassment if it makes someone uncomfortable. Effecting people of all genders and ages and can come from colleagues, managers, clients or even external contractors. If it meets the legal definition it doesn’t have to be repeated offences, one off incidents can also be classed as harassment.
Examples of workplace sexual harassment includes:
- Unwanted touching or physical contact
- Sexually suggestive comments, jokes or innuendo
- Sending inappropriate messages or images
- Leering or suggestive looks
- Making comments about someone’s appearance in a sexual way
- Asking intrusive questions about someone’s sex life
- Displaying offensive material (e.g. posters, screensavers)
- Pressuring someone into a sexual relationship or date
- Victimising someone for rejecting advances or making a complaint
Why does Sexual Harassment in workplace matter?
With 1 in 2 women (52%) and 1 in 5 men (20%) in the UK experiencing sexual harassment at work and nearly 3 in 4 women (74%) saying they did not report the harassment, it highlights the importance of why HR needs to do something to prevent this from occurring.
Sexual harassment not only creates a negative work environment for those experiencing it, but it can also impact their mental health and productivity. Damaging employee trust and retention and potentially leading to legal claims and reputational harm to the company if they ignore the problem and let sexual harassment continue.
Employees who experience sexual harassment may bring an employment tribunal claim, and employers who fail to address complaints risk facing employment tribunal claims and significant legal consequences.
Sexual harassment can occur in any industry, but some sectors consistently report higher rates due to factors like power imbalances, customer-facing roles, informal cultures, or lack of regulation. Others tend to report lower rates, often because of stricter oversight, professional standards, or a lower risk working environment.
Industries with the highest rates of sexual harassment include hospitality (restaurants, bars, hotels and retail). With over 90% of hospitality workers in the UK experiencing or witnessed sexual harassment. Healthcare and social care workers also experience high levels of sexual harassment particularly from patients, families or senior colleagues. Additionally, media, entertainments and arts sector suffer from high levels of sexual harassment.
Industries with the lowest reported rates include finance and the legal sector, which typically have structured policies and strong HR oversight. Additionally, public administration is often associated with lower rates due to its usually formal HR structures, codes of conduct, clear reporting lines, and a strong union presence and employee protection, which help reduce risk.
However, just because an industry reports few cases, this doesn’t always mean harassment is rare but could reflect fear of retaliation, informal or inaccessible reporting processes or even lack of trust in HR. Eligibility for legal aid or support in these cases may depend on individual circumstances.
The role of HR
Only 24% of people who are harassed are reporting it to someone at work, this could be down to not being believed or retaliation from other employees/employer. This leaves HR to ensure they are taking sexual harassment seriously and have effective processes to manage this.
HR can ensure they are:
- Creating clear anti-harassment policies
- Providing training and awareness
- Offering safe, confidential reporting routes
- Taking complaints seriously and acting promptly
- Promoting a respectful workplace culture
Employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and protect employees from harm.
While many organisations have policies in place, research suggests there is often a gap between policy and practice. A lack of trust in internal reporting systems continues to prevent victims from coming forward. HR has a critical responsibility to act swiftly, consistently and compassionately when addressing sexual harassment. There are many ways HR professionals can help prevent and respond to sexual harassment:
Creating clear & visible policies
Having a policy is a start but ensuring it is accessible and understood by all employees is essential.
- Clearly define what constitutes sexual harassment
- Outline reporting procedures and what employees can expect after making a report
- Communicate zero tolerance across all levels of the organisation
Using HR software like Activ People HR, you can upload and store policies in a centralised digital hub, track policy acknowledgements, and ensure employees are always working with the latest version. HR teams should regularly review policies and seek guidance from official sources such as Acas or the EHRC to ensure compliance.
Build trust in the reporting process
Many employees fear retaliation or believe nothing will be done. To counter this:
- Offer anonymous or confidential reporting options
- Train managers to handle reports with empathy and professionalism
- Ensure every report is followed up consistently and fairly
Having a digital audit trail of communications and actions through HR software can help ensure transparency and accountability.
Employees should be informed about how to report incidents and the support available to them.
Delivery regular training
Training should not be a one-off exercise. Regular, interactive sessions help reinforce expectations and create a shared understanding of acceptable behaviour.
Use HR systems to:
- Schedule and track completion of mandatory anti-harassment training
- Keep records of who has completed what
- Offer refresher sessions, especially for managers or new hires
Regular training is one of several measures and steps to prevent sexual harassment and ensure a safe workplace.
Support affected employees
It’s essential to support victims beyond the investigation process:
- Provide access to counselling or Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
- Allow for flexible working or time off if needed
- Reassign or mediate where appropriate to ensure a safe return to work
If an employee reports sexual harassment then HR software can store confidential notes, absence records, or support plans while ensuring only authorised personnel have access. Employees in England and Wales experiencing sexual harassment can access free employment legal advice and support services. Free advice is available to help them understand their rights and options.
Foster a culture of respect
Preventing harassment starts with the right culture. HR should promote values such as respect, integrity and inclusivity across recruitment, performance reviews and daily interactions.
Our performance management software can help reinforce company values through feedback and development discussions, while surveys and reviews can measure how safe employees feel in the workplace.
It is important to reinforce that sexual harassment is unacceptable and to take action to prevent it from happening especially if an employee reports sexual harassment.
Preventing Sexual Harassment
If employees are harassed, they are more likely to take sick leave, avoid promotions, change jobs or even disengage from work and resign altogether. So how can HR software support prevention:
With platforms like Activ People HR, you can:
- Document Management: Store and share policies, procedures and training materials digitally for easy access.
- Training Records: Record and track training participation. Who has completed harassment prevention training and who hasn’t.
- Absence Management: Support employees needing time off due to stress or mental health concerns. Monitor absence patterns to spot signs of issues early.
- Performance Reviews: Ensure effective performance reviews and address any issues or concerns employees may have.
- Confidential Records: Keep sensitive reports secure and only visible to authorised users. Maintain logs of incidents and resolutions.
Under the Worker Protection Act 2024, employers who have failed to take adequate steps to prevent sexual harassment may be required to pay increased compensation, known as a compensation uplift, if a claim is successful. This is part of broader worker protection measures to ensure compliance and accountability.
By providing structure and visibility, Activ People HR help HR teams act promptly and with confidence. Preventing sexual harassment in your organisation isn’t just about compliance but about creating a safe and inclusive workplace. Your HR team plays a crucial role in driving this forward. With the right policies, culture and tools in place you can protect your employees and empower them to thrive.
If you’re looking to build a safer and more respectful workplace, discover how Activ People HR can help your organisation take a proactive approach.
