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The Labour Party has unveiled new plans to clamp down on sexual harassment in the workplace as new figures show almost 5 million women experience such behaviour at work each year.<\/p>\n
New proposals unveiled by Labour\u2019s deputy leader Angela Rayner would legally force employers to \u201cstop sexual harassment before it starts\u201d by implementing measures to prevent sexual harassment from taking place.<\/p>\n
Ms Rayner, shadow levelling up secretary, told The Independent sexual harassment was \u201crife\u201d as she warned such behaviour is \u201cdestroying careers and ruining women\u2019s lives\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking before Labour Women\u2019s Conference on Saturday, Ms Rayner said the cases which have recently grabbed headlines \u201care just the\u00a0tip of the iceberg\u00a0when it comes to the experiences of millions of women in workplaces the length and breadth of Britain\u201d.<\/p>\n
The latest data from the government equalities office reveals three in ten women currently in work suffered some form of sexual harassment at work or in a work-related environment in the last year.<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s analysis of the data estimates some 4.7 million women per year are forced to endure sexual harassment at work – with 17 per cent of those who are harassed choosing to move to another job after enduring sexual harassment each year and 41 per cent of perpetrators experiencing no sanction.<\/p>\n
The new duty will be bolstered by a statutory code of practice on sexual harassment and harassment more broadly which establishes what actions employers must take to meet the obligation. Labour said this could comprise \u201ceffective and well-publicised policies and procedures on dealing with sexual harassment at work, providing training, and assessing foreseeable risks\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Rayner argued \u201ceveryone should be able to go to work safe from sexual harassment, knowing their employer has taken steps to create a safe working environment\u201d.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cGood employers are already creating workplace cultures that do not tolerate sexual harassment and take steps to prevent it on their watch. Labour will ensure that happens across the board.\u201d <\/p>\n
Labour explained their new proposals would mean employers would be responsible if they are informed of an incident involving sexual harassment yet do not take measures to tackle it or it emerges they did not take preliminary measures to prevent the incident in the first place.<\/p>\n
When asked about Labour\u2019s plans by The Independent, the government insisted it was backing a new piece of legislation which would introduce identical measures to tackle sexual harassment.<\/p>\n
It was reported earlier this year that ministers would allow the Worker Protection Bill – a Private Member\u2019s Bill introduced by Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse and supported by Labour – to fall after a slew of amendments were tabled by Tory peers.<\/p>\n
The legislation is due to return to the House of Commons on 20 October to be considered and voted on.<\/p>\n
Ms Hobhouse, MP for Bath, warned sexual harassment at work \u201cleaves victims traumatised and often without support\u201d – saying her Private Members Bill marks a \u201cbig step forward\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a challenge to gain consent from some peers but I am glad that a compromise has been reached,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Ann Francke, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, told The Independent employers must \u201cdo a better job of preventing and dealing with sexual harassment\u201d as she argued this would stamp out \u201ctoxic cultures\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Francke added: \u201cWe have seen a number of incidents recently where harassment has not been dealt with swiftly and decisively by employers – not only does that damage their reputation but it is something that should not be tolerated in today\u2019s workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
She warned sexual harassment is a prevalent issue and noted while many employers say they have policies and procedures to handle such misconduct, they do not \u201cproactively implement those policies and they don\u2019t act swiftly if harassment occurs\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Francke added: \u201cTackling sexual harassment is absolutely in the interests of employers and employees because it makes for less toxic, more productive workplaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people see this as not in the interests of employers, but it is in the interests of employers and employees. Not to mention the reputational damage for the employer when these incidents of harassment come to light.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the government warned that sexual harassment is \u201cwrong and employers should ensure they tackle it in the workplace\u201d, adding: \u201cThe government-backed Worker Protection Bill, which is progressing through parliament, will further strengthen protections against harassment at work.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email The Labour Party has unveiled new plans to clamp down on sexual harassment in the workplace as new figures show almost 5 million women experience such behaviour at work each year. New proposals unveiled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n