Liberal Democrat MP for Bath cleared the final legislative
hurdle to pass the Worker Protection Bill into law on Friday 20th
October. The Bill, introduced by , will give protections to
employees from sexual harassment in the workplace.
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The Bill introduces a preventative duty on employers to
proactively stop workplace harassment, instead of relying on
individual employees to report incidents
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It comes in the wake of sexual harassment scandals and
allegations involving organisations such as the CBI and has
been heavily supported by women’s rights organisations such
as the Fawcett Society
On Friday 20th October the Bill cleared its final hearing in the
House of Commons. There are no further obstacles to the Bill
receiving Royal Assent, at which point it will be formally
adopted as law.
The Bill makes employers liable to their employees if they have
not taken reasonable steps to prevent harassment. Shocking
figures from the House of Commons Library have revealed that one
in five people have experience sexual harassment in the workplace
every year.
In 2018, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found
that organisations do not have effective processes in place to
deal with these issues. Only a minority of employers had
effective processes to prevent and address sexual harassment,
with the consequence that 79 per cent of women do not report
sexual harassment in the workplace.
, Liberal Democrat MP for
Bath, commented:
“Harassment in the workplace is a blight on society. It is
widespread, it ruins lives and impacts effective working
relationships in all walks of life. Not a week goes by without
revelations of inappropriate behaviour in an organisation
somewhere in the UK.
“My Bill presents an opportunity to shift the culture in our
workplaces where harassment is no longer tolerated. It will
create a duty on employers to prevent harassment from happening
and should bring about a long-term change in attitudes.
“I am proud to have worked alongside brilliant organisations such
as the Fawcett Society and the wider Alliance for Women, who
continue to support this Bill because of the substantial
difference it will make to workers' lives.
“I am also grateful to the Minister for Women for her support,
and to Baroness Burt, who worked tirelessly to steer this Bill
through the Lords.
“Employees should not have to wait any longer for safe and
respectful workplaces. The passage of this Bill will send a clear
signal that such behaviour is unacceptable, and that we take the
protections of employees seriously.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Wera Hobhouse’s Bill can be found here.
The House of Commons Library research is reported here.
The proposed Lords amendments to be considered on the 20th
October in the House can be found here.
