The Worker Protection Act introduces a significant legal duty for employers to actively prevent workplace harassment from third parties, such as customers, clients, or suppliers. This new legislation emphasises proactive prevention, requiring employers to take reasonable steps to ensure their employees are not exposed to harassment from individuals outside their organisation – The TUC has produced a helpful explainer…
As the TUC outlines, the Act addresses a gap in previous laws, which often left employees unprotected from third-party harassment. Now, if employers do not take sufficient action to prevent such incidents, employees have stronger legal protections and can hold their employers accountable.
This is seen as a crucial step forward in creating safer and more respectful working environments.
The Key Requirements for Employers
Under the Worker Protection Act, employers must take reasonable steps to prevent third-party harassment. This could include measures such as:
- Providing Clear Policies: Employers need to ensure there are clear anti-harassment policies in place that include protections against third-party behaviour.
- Training and Awareness: Staff should be trained on how to handle situations involving harassment from third parties and how to report incidents effectively.
- Proactive Monitoring: Employers should monitor workplaces to identify potential risks of harassment from external sources, such as regular interactions with the public.
- Responding Effectively: When incidents are reported, employers must respond swiftly and effectively, ensuring that the situation is properly addressed and that employees feel safe.
The introduction of the Worker Protection Act strengthens protections for workers by putting a greater responsibility on employers to maintain safe environments. It shifts the focus from reactive measures to proactive prevention.
This is particularly important for employees who regularly interact with customers or clients, such as those in retail, hospitality, and healthcare, but applies to all industries, including video games.
The Act ensures that workers are not left vulnerable to harassment from third parties, which has often been an overlooked issue. By putting these protections in place, employees can feel more secure, and businesses can foster a more positive and supportive workplace culture.
Employers in the games industry should review their current anti-harassment policies and ensure they are comprehensive, covering third-party harassment.
Training programs should be updated to reflect this new duty, and businesses should focus on fostering an environment where employees feel safe and supported. This not only complies with the Worker Protection Act but also promotes a healthier and more productive workplace.
For more information on the Worker Protection Act, check out the TUC’s full post.
