UK Law Mandates Employer Action as 99% of Female Security Staff Report Sexual Harassment

The security industry faces a critical challenge as 70% of security staff, including 99% of female staff, report experiencing sexual harassment, with 93% of victims facing repeated incidents.

The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill, effective October 2024, now requires employers to take proactive measures to prevent sexual harassment, including third-party incidents.

Failure to comply could result in increased compensation awards by employment tribunals.

To address this issue and ensure compliance, Secure & Support offers a cost-effective, online guidance specifically designed for security personnel, focusing on professional behaviour, legal implications, and effective response to sexual violence incidents.

Security and sexual violence

In short, The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill , applies apply to England, Wales, and Scotland, and now means:

• Employers may be liabile for harassment of employees by third parties (such as customers or clients) on their premises, including sexual harassment.

• Employers must now take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees.

• Part of that requirement is to ensure that employees understand the legal implications of their behaviour.

Where an employment tribunal finds that an employer has breached the employer duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of their employees, it can add up to 25 per cent to the compensation awarded.

Meanwhile, security staff can also be the frontline in dealing with sexual violence in the workplace. Whether it be a woman found crying in the toilets of an office block during an office party, or a univeristy student in a state of shock or distress on campus, security can play a vital role in supporting victims, as well as preserving evidence.

The problem the industry faces, however, is creating awareness across a dispersed workforce in an effective and cost-effective manner.

In-person training can be time-consuming to arrange, roster, and deliver. Morever, the chances are many casual staff are likely to miss out. Compliance should not be complicated, onerous or expensive.

RELEVANT CONTENT

Secure & Support offers low-cost, relevant, and up-to-date professional guidance staff can use immediately.Combining decades of experience in research, media, and training, Secure & Support is delivered in bite-size videos, with text and audio options.

As well as explaining the legal implications of sexual violence, the focus is kept firmly on professional behaviour and response, as well as explain how to:

• Respond effectively to sexual violence incidents

• Develop communication skills specific to trauma-informed care

• Understand the importance of evidence collection