From 30 October 2026, the law on sexual harassment will be strengthened.
This is a change introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025.
What is changing
The current law says employers need to take 'reasonable steps' to prevent sexual harassment.
From 30 October 2026, employers will need to take 'all reasonable steps'.
What 'all reasonable steps' means
Employers might have previously chosen to take some reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. They will now be expected to take them all with no exceptions.
The steps you take will likely depend on your organisation. For example:
- its size
- the sector
- the kind of work your workers do
Taking all reasonable steps means:
- taking all of the steps that are reasonable for your organisation rather than just some of the steps
- focusing on preventing sexual harassment rather than only reacting to incidents
- steps that apply across the whole organisation, not just actions targeted at people involved in a previous incident
All reasonable steps includes protecting workers from online and in-person sexual harassment.
You can find out more about preventing sexual harassment. This includes considering risks, steps to take and examples of steps.
Example of not taking all reasonable steps
Jo started a job 10 months ago. The environment feels intimidating, with a culture of 'banter' that makes Jo uncomfortable. Jo is performing well but finds the environment difficult.
One of the co-owners of the organisation begins making frequent comments about Jo's appearance. When Jo tells their supervisor, the supervisor offers to change Jo's duties. However, the supervisor tells Jo they will need to 'toughen up'.
Later, the co-owner tries to force Jo into a supply cupboard. Other people step in to stop it. Jo makes a formal complaint about the co-owner.
The organisation's sexual harassment policy has not been reviewed or used for years. The other owner takes over the organisation completely. They provide harassment training for the area Jo works in.
However, they do not take further action to address the culture of banter across the organisation. After the training, it does not feel like anything has changed. Jo feels they have no choice but to resign and take legal action.
It is very unlikely the employer took all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
Example of taking all reasonable steps
Kim starts a new job and completes their induction. As part of the induction, Kim's manager:
- shares the organisation's sexual harassment policy
- ensures Kim signs up for mandatory sexual harassment training
- tells Kim the organisation will not tolerate sexual harassment
- makes sure Kim knows how to recognise and report sexual harassment
Kim's manager also explains that some workers have taken additional training to help handle any complaints.
These people include:
- senior leaders in the organisation
- team leaders
- managers
- fair treatment contacts
- HR staff
- trade union representatives
Kim now knows how to report any concerns. They feel reassured that the organisation is taking sexual harassment seriously.
The employer is likely to be able to show they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
What employers need to do
You should start preparing for this law change in advance. For example, you might need to:
- review and update existing policies
- consider if creating a standalone sexual harassment policy is useful for your organisation
- make sure workers have more than one way to report sexual harassment
- provide sexual harassment training that is suited to your organisation, making use of specialist delivery where needed
- make sure there are steps in place to prevent sexual harassment, rather than responding to it
You might already do everything you reasonably can to prevent sexual harassment. If so, you may already meet the new requirements.
It is likely that larger or more complex organisations will need to take more steps to prevent sexual harassment.
Get more advice and support
You can find out more about:
- what sexual harassment is and how it is covered by the law
- how to handle a sexual harassment complaint
Acas also provides:
- free e-learning on sexual harassment
- training on bullying and harassment – including sexual harassment at work
- tailored support for your organisation