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Business Legal Services
Sexual Harassment Compliance Support
Protect your business and your team: Everything you need to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace
New regulations mean that if you aren’t proactively taking steps to prevent risks in your workplace, you could face costly consequences.
New sexual harassment legislation has created a proactive duty, which means that all employers must put in place reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
This new duty applies to all businesses, and there are some costly consequences where businesses do not comply. Failure to comply could result in enforcement action by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and an increase in Employment Tribunal compensation pay outs of up to 25%.
Our team of employment law experts can help you achieve this with our Sexual Harassment Compliance Support so that you and your business are fully compliant with the new regulations.
Preventing issues and improving your workplace
Benefits of the Sexual Harassment Compliance Review
Improved culture and legally compliant
Focusing on areas including culture, reporting channels, and interactions with third parties so that your policies are robust and legally sound, helps avoid costly tribunal claims.
A proactive training programme individually developed for your business
A comprehensive training programme which demonstrates your commitment to proactively managing any issues.
Ongoing check-ins mean you protect your business and your team
Ongoing compliance check-ins mean that you keep your practices up-to-date and give you the confidence that you are protecting your business against reputational and legal risk.
Creates a respectful workplace culture
Promote an improved working environment which not only ensures compliance but also supports a respectful workplace environment, safeguarding both your employees and your business.
Upskill your managers
Upskill your managers so they can support your people and help resolve any workplace grievances and disputes effectively.
Effective and sensitive handling of any issues
Prepare your leadership team and workforce to handle harassment issues sensitively and effectively, reducing the risk of mishandled investigations.
A thorough 360-degree review of your business to establish risk
Sexual harassment often goes unnoticed until a complaint is made, but by then, it’s too late. The new law places the burden on employers to proactively manage harassment, not just respond to it. The review process includes a comprehensive audit to identify any risks of harassment that might exist within the workplace environment:
- Workplace Risk Audit: We will analyse any potential areas of risk in your workplace environment, where sexual harassment could potentially occur. This will include your company’s culture, power dynamics, and reporting mechanisms so you can tackle issues before they escalate.
- Third-Party Risk Review: We evaluate the risks of sexual harassment from third parties, such as clients, suppliers, or visitors, and ensure you have preventive measures in place.
- Anonymous reporting channels: We will assess and suggest any improvements to your existing reporting channels and current communication strategies to create a culture where your staff are empowered to speak out, reducing the likelihood of harassment issues or potential legal claims.
You will receive a comprehensive gap analysis and action plan, detailing areas where risks need to be mitigated and how to proactively address these concerns.
Policy and documentation review
We will review your existing policies and provide a report identifying any policy gaps with tailored recommendations for updating your policies.
Where you already have policies in place, we assess whether your current procedures (including grievance and investigation processes) align with the new proactive duty. We can review them and advise on any recommended changes
If you do not have the necessary policies in place, we can provide you with new robust policies to help protect your business. This may include a tailored Sexual Harassment Policy to help you minimise risk
Employee training and awareness programme
Many managers and HR teams will need enhanced training to deal with sensitive complaints like sexual harassment. Without the right tools, investigations can be mishandled, leading to further liability and reputational damage.
We can create a custom training programme focused on recognising, preventing, and reporting sexual harassment. This can be an in-person or virtual training workshop for your senior leadership team, your managers or for your whole workforce.
We can deliver a training schedule with live or recorded sessions, materials for ongoing use, and evaluation of the effectiveness of current training.
Investigation and disciplinary procedures
Investigating sexual harassment complaints requires sensitivity and objectivity. Get it wrong and it could lead to tribunal claims and increased compensation penalties.
We can:
- Assess your current investigation procedures including ensuring your processes allow for impartial investigations and that anonymity and fairness are maintained.
- Consider your current processes to ensure investigations are conducted impartially, confidentially, and in compliance with the law.
- Provide guidelines on how to ensure the right investigators are assigned and how to maintain fairness for both the complainant and the accused.
Continuous compliance follow-up
We can offer quarterly or biannual check-ins so that your practices stay up-to-date and help you to avoid potential penalties and reputational damage should there be a claim. This gives you the peace of mind that you are not only compliant with the new legislation, and that you are proactively managing your company’s risk.
We are here to help
Our team of employment law experts
We understand the common and complex issues business owners and HR professionals experience when it comes to managing a workforce and staying up-to-date with UK employment law. Our team of remote-based and senior employment lawyers form genuine partnerships with our clients and support them with on-going support and specialist contentious and non-contentious legal advice.
Please get in touch to discuss your training needs and we will provide you with a bespoke proposal and quotation that is tailored to you.
Find out more about the team here:
A FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM
Expert in employment law
As well offering management and HR training, our team of senior employment solicitors can assist you across all areas of employment law, including:
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Testimonials
What our clients say
Harper James has been instrumental in our growth and success. Their expert guidance has transformed the way we operate, enabling us to implement best practices across various areas of our business. Thanks to their support, we now operate with a level of maturity and sophistication that sets us apart from other organisations of our size.
Nick Clapham
Managing Director,
VirtueUK
I also know that when there is change in any employment law, I will be made aware of this by Ella and her team and we will be supported in updating our handbook accordingly. That’s really reassuring.
Robert Burch
CEO,
Verdel Instruments Ltd
The teams have been incredibly efficient. They're not only easy to communicate with, but also highly knowledgeable, and consistently able to meet even tight deadlines. What truly sets Harper James apart is the access we have to a comprehensive range of legal experts – spanning employment law, commercial law, and data protection – all within an affordable subscription model that offers greater flexibility. This allows us to implement processes and put appropriate measures in place, without the typical charging constraints of a traditional law firm.
Raj Batra
Founder,
Diistil
Thank you, Sally, for helping us achieve the right outcome. Your judgment and advice was consistent from the start and proved right.
Tom Galvin
Sales Director,
Barentz UK Limited
Harper James has been instrumental in our growth and success. Their expert guidance has transformed the way we operate, enabling us to implement best practices across various areas of our business. Thanks to their support, we now operate with a level of maturity and sophistication that sets us apart from other organisations of our size.
Nick Clapham
Managing Director,
VirtueUK
I also know that when there is change in any employment law, I will be made aware of this by Ella and her team and we will be supported in updating our handbook accordingly. That’s really reassuring.
Robert Burch
CEO,
Verdel Instruments Ltd
The teams have been incredibly efficient. They're not only easy to communicate with, but also highly knowledgeable, and consistently able to meet even tight deadlines. What truly sets Harper James apart is the access we have to a comprehensive range of legal experts – spanning employment law, commercial law, and data protection – all within an affordable subscription model that offers greater flexibility. This allows us to implement processes and put appropriate measures in place, without the typical charging constraints of a traditional law firm.
Raj Batra
Founder,
Diistil
Thank you, Sally, for helping us achieve the right outcome. Your judgment and advice was consistent from the start and proved right.
Tom Galvin
Sales Director,
Barentz UK Limited
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