Nearly half of UK professionals (49%) say they are not fully confident their employer can prevent workplace sexual harassment, and one in five workers report that their company provides no training on the issue. These findings come from a new survey by compliance eLearning provider, VinciWorks, which warns that many businesses are underprepared for stricter legal duties to curb harassment under the upcoming Employment Rights Act.
Training gaps threaten legal compliance
One of the most striking findings is the widespread lack of training to prevent harassment. More than one in five professionals (21%) said their organisation provides no sexual harassment training whatsoever. Even among those whose companies do offer training, quality is an issue: 26% of respondents rated their workplace training as merely “okay” or “not good.” Fewer than half of professionals described their company’s anti-harassment training as “good” or “excellent,” and only 13% gave it an “excellent” rating. Without robust training in place, organisations may struggle to demonstrate they have taken the legally required steps to prevent harassment.
“The Worker Protection Act introduced a proactive duty on all employers to prevent sexual harassment,” said Nick Henderson-Mayo, Head of Compliance at VinciWorks. “Under the upcoming Employment Rights Act, organisations will need to go further and ensure they put in place all reasonable steps to prevent harassment, including specific policies and dedicated training.”
Bystander training adoption remains low
Bystander intervention training – a proactive approach proven to help shift workplace culture – remains rare in UK workplaces. Only 16% of professionals surveyed said their workplace includes bystander intervention training as part of its regular training cycle. Meanwhile, a further 43% indicated that their company does not yet offer bystander training but is interested in introducing it, signalling a significant implementation gap.
“Bystander intervention training can form an effective procedure to prevent harassment, Changing culture starts with empowering staff to intervene when they witness inappropriate behaviour,” added Henderson-Mayo. “When staff are empowered to step in and stop harassment in its tracks, it can be a powerful way to change culture. Firms can’t monitor every inch of a workplace, but they can encourage and train staff to stand up to inappropriate behaviour.”
Most employers plan action, but some lag behind
Encouragingly, the vast majority of employers acknowledge the need to step up harassment prevention efforts. More than four in five respondents (84%) said their organisation plans to do more to prevent sexual harassment in light of the incoming law – including 27% who expect to do “a great deal more.” However, a worrying minority remain complacent: 10% of professionals admitted that their company is not planning any changes to improve anti-harassment measures, despite the strengthened legal duties on the horizon.
“The Worker Protection Act was a start, but the Employment Rights Act goes much further, and all organisations will have new steps to take, Henderson-Mayo warned. “Tribunals and the new Fair Work Agency will expect documented policies, regular training, and active risk assessments.”
Small businesses and high-risk industries remain behind
The poll reveals a clear compliance gap based on organisation size and industry. Smaller businesses are significantly more likely to be falling behind on training and prevention: over a quarter (26%) of small and mid-sized enterprises reported offering no sexual harassment training, compared to 15% of larger companies. Likewise, only nine per cent of SMEs currently provide regular bystander intervention training, compared with 25% of large employers.
Specific high-risk sectors show even more pronounced shortfalls. Not a single respondent from the manufacturing industry said their organisation offers any bystander intervention training. And even in the heavily regulated financial services sector, one-third of professionals reported that their firm provides no sexual harassment training at all despite incoming FCA requirements on non-financial misconduct.
New law raises the bar on prevention
Under current UK law (strengthened by the Worker Protection Act in October 2024), employers must take “reasonable steps” to prevent workplace sexual harassment. The forthcoming Employment Rights Act will raise that bar, requiring employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment – including by third parties such as customers and clients. The new law also establishes a Fair Work Agency, a regulator with the power to investigate employers and issue fines for failing to meet these preventive duties.
“Policies buried in handbooks carry little weight,” Henderson-Mayo noted. “Employers must prove managers and staff are trained on and actively using them. Sexual harassment prevention is a legal duty that is becoming stronger. Failing to act could land companies in the same situation as Lidl or McDonald’s, where their harassment procedures are under close monitoring from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.”
In response to the survey findings, VinciWorks is urging employers to review their risk assessments and training programmes immediately to ensure they meet the strengthened requirements and to protect their employees from harm.
In a recent study carried out by VinciWorks, 243 HR professionals were surveyed on employers’ ability to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
