Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Your Questions Answered

Introduction

Sexual harassment has been in the news a lot in recent times. There have been allegations made relating to behaviour dating back several years, and there have also been some worrying allegations of behaviour happening today. We have seen the ‘MeToo’ movement develop and have also seen the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website attract thousands of testimonies of abuse.

What does this mean for the employer? What is and is not sexual harassment? What is the employer liable for? Apart from discrimination, what other claims might be made relating to harassment?

Expert speaker Kathy Daniels will answer these questions and more, making this webinar ideal for those advising employers and claimants.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Sexual harassment
• The definition in the Equality Act 2010
• Case law - looking at what is and is not harassment
• Vicarious liability
• What are the liabilities of the employer?
• When the harasser might also be liable
• Employer duties
• Government response to consultation (July 2021)
• Potential new duty on employers
• Other outcomes of the consultation
• Personal injury claims
• The impact of the ‘MeToo’ movement
• Training for employees
• Defining inappropriate behaviour
• ‘Reasonable steps’
• Personal injury claims
• The potential for an employee to argue that there has been a breach of health and safety legislation
• What would have to be shown for a personal injury claim to be successful?
• Constructive dismissal
• The definition of constructive dismissal
• What would need to be shown for the employee to be able to argue that there had been a breach of contract
• Handling a complaint of sexual harassment
• How to manage the complaint
• Using the grievance procedure

This webinar was recorded on 7th October 2021