When referring to sexual harassment we mean ‘unwanted conduct of a sexual nature’ that can occur online and offline and both inside and outside of work or education.
Whilst not intended to be an exhaustive list, sexual harassment can include:
UPSKIRTING
In 2019, the Voyeurism (Offences) Act came into force commonly known as the Upskirting Act.
‘Upskirting’ is where someone takes a picture under a person’s clothing (not necessarily a skirt) without their permission and or knowledge, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks (with or without underwear) to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm.
It is a criminal offence. Anyone of any sex, can be a victim.
A new addition to this legislation has been included to include ‘downblousing’ which is essentially the same as upskirting but down someone’s blouse.
There is a sexual harassment PowerPoint to help you understand more about sexual harassment. It is available to make you think and consider your actions.
If you experience or witness sexual harassment, please tell a colleague, line manager or your Human Resources manager. If you are a member of a union, they can offer support to help you too.
By law, all employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers.
The law is the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023. The law came into effect on 26 October 2024.
The law covers sexual harassment from:
All employers must ensure that their employees are trained to prevent sexual harassment happening.
This includes:
