One Year On: What Has Changed Since the New Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment?

Introduction

A year ago, the conversation around workplace sexual harassment changed significantly.

The introduction of the new preventative duty placed a stronger expectation on employers to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment, rather than simply responding when incidents occur. It marked a shift from reaction to prevention, encouraging businesses to review their workplace culture, policies, reporting processes and training programmes.

Twelve months on, many organisations have made positive progress. But an important question remains:

Have businesses genuinely changed the way they approach harassment prevention, or have they simply updated a policy and moved on?

A Shift from Compliance to Prevention

Historically, many organisations focused their efforts on having the right policies in place and responding appropriately when concerns were raised.

The new duty reinforced the importance of taking preventative action before problems arise.

For employers, this has prompted discussions around:

• Workplace culture and behaviours
• Leadership accountability
• Reporting and escalation routes
• Staff training and awareness
• Risk assessment and monitoring

The most successful organisations have recognised that preventing harassment is not solely an HR responsibility. It is a business-wide responsibility that requires commitment from leaders, managers and employees alike.

What Has Changed Over the Last 12 Months?

Many employers have taken positive steps to strengthen their approach.

Common actions have included:

Reviewing Workplace Policies

Businesses have been revisiting dignity at work, bullying and harassment policies to ensure they clearly set out expected standards of behaviour and reporting routes.

Clear policies remain an essential foundation, but employers are increasingly recognising that policies alone are not enough to influence behaviour.

Increasing Training and Awareness

Training has become more visible across many organisations.

Managers are receiving additional guidance on recognising concerns, handling complaints appropriately and promoting respectful workplace behaviours. Employees are also becoming more aware of their rights and responsibilities.

The most effective training programmes are not viewed as a one-off exercise. Instead, they form part of an ongoing conversation about workplace culture.

Improving Reporting Processes

Many businesses have reviewed how employees raise concerns.

Employees are far more likely to speak up when reporting processes are simple, confidential and trusted. Organisations that create multiple reporting channels often increase confidence that issues will be handled appropriately.

The Biggest Lesson: Culture Matters More Than Policy

Perhaps the most significant lesson from the last year is that workplace culture remains one of the strongest factors in preventing harassment.

A comprehensive policy may look impressive on paper, but it will have little impact if employees do not feel comfortable raising concerns or if inappropriate behaviour is ignored.

Creating a respectful culture requires:

• Visible leadership commitment
• Consistent standards of behaviour
• Accountability at all levels
• Open communication
• Trust in reporting processes

Employees often judge an organisation not by the existence of a policy, but by how concerns are handled in practice.

Why This Matters for Recruitment and Retention

Workplace culture is no longer simply an internal HR issue.

Candidates today are placing greater emphasis on employer reputation, wellbeing, inclusion and psychological safety when choosing where to work.

Organisations that actively promote respectful workplaces can benefit from:

• Stronger employer branding
• Increased employee engagement
• Improved retention
• Greater talent attraction
• Enhanced organisational reputation

Conversely, businesses that fail to take workplace culture seriously risk damaging their ability to attract and retain skilled employees.

In a competitive labour market, culture has become a genuine differentiator.

What Employers Should Be Doing Now

One year on from the introduction of the preventative duty, employers should be asking themselves some simple but important questions:

• Have we reviewed our policies within the last 12 months?
• Have managers received appropriate training?
• Do employees understand how to report concerns?
• Are our reporting processes trusted and accessible?
• Have we assessed areas of potential risk within our business?
• Are we regularly communicating expectations around behaviour and respect?

If the answer to any of these questions is "not recently", it may be time for a review.

Looking Ahead

The new duty has undoubtedly increased awareness of workplace sexual harassment and encouraged many organisations to strengthen their approach.

However, preventing harassment is not a project with a finish date.

Workplaces evolve, teams change, and new risks emerge. Creating an environment where people feel respected, safe and able to perform at their best requires continuous commitment.

One year on, the businesses seeing the greatest benefits are not necessarily those with the longest policies or the most training sessions.

They are the organisations that have embedded respect, accountability and inclusion into their everyday culture.

Because ultimately, preventing harassment isn't just about compliance.

It's about creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.