UK harassment prevention duty tightens October 2026
UK-based employers and any multinational with UK staff must reassess harassment-prevention policies before October 2026, when the reasonable-steps threshold becomes materially stricter.
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 already imposes a proactive duty on UK employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. From October 2026, that duty is strengthened: enforcement will be more rigorous, and tribunals will weigh employer conduct more heavily when assessing remedies. Practical steps include updating harassment and bystander-intervention policies, refreshing mandatory training, documenting risk assessments, and reviewing complaint-handling procedures. Multinationals with UK workforces should align global standards with the heightened UK benchmark. Failure to demonstrate reasonable preventive steps can now expose employers to uplifted damages in discrimination claims.