Brighton solicitors' #MeToo campaign to end sexual harassment at work

Martin Searle Solicitors - https://www.ms-solicitors.co.uk/ - first campaigned to prevent sexual harassment at work in 2018, as more women spoke out about their workplace experiences. New laws were introduced following this, with the Worker Protection Bill (2023) becoming law in October 2024.

Employers have new duties to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment during their staff’s employment, including at external events and company Christmas parties.

This not only ensures that individuals feel confident about making complaints but also encourages them to report any unwanted sexual behaviour they may witness, even if they are not the victim of harassment.

Why was this legislation introduced?

A 2020 survey carried out by the Government Equalities Office found that 30% of women had experienced sexual harassment at work over the past year, but so had 27% of men.

Fiona Martin, Director & Head of Employment at Martin Searle Solicitors, commented: “The Workers Protection Bill is an example of a law that ensures a positive social outcome for men and women. We have found that some employers have keenly embraced this new legislation, which has been heart-warming.”

Fairness and equality mean protection for both the accuser and the accused. HR teams must receive training on the legal definition of sexual harassment, handling sexual harassment allegations in the workplace, and how to help employers prevent it. As part of this, businesses must also provide sexual harassment training to all their staff.

Laura Donnelly, one of the firm’s employment law solicitors, conducts training workshops and seminars for employers and their HR teams. This has proven to be a huge success thus far in increasing awareness and understanding of the new laws. However, despite the positive sentiment behind the reasons for introducing the legislation, this lack of wider awareness continues to concern Ms Martin:

“It’s reported that 45% of employers still don’t know about their new duties under the Worker Protection Act, which shows we have a long way to go to protect both employers and their employees, making our campaign to stamp out sexual harassment more important than ever this year.”

As part of their #MeToo campaign, Martin Searle Solicitors are hosting a virtual seminar for employers on preventing sexual harassment at work. For more information about the campaign, please visit - https://www.ms-solicitors.co.uk/metoo-matters/