It's All About People

READ TIME - 3 minute read

Welcome Back

This week’s It’s All About People covers:

🔍 New sexual harassment prevention law
📋 Steps to ensure compliance
🗣️ Creating a culture of respect

On Monday and Tuesday this week I spent the most incredible 2 days at the annual Entrepreneurs Circle Annual Convention.

Two days of inspiration, learning and spending time with like minded people - I am buzzing.

My favourites had to be Richard Osman ( I am a huge fan of the Thursday Murder Club books), Caroline Redman-Lusher - the founder of the incredible Rock Choir phenomenon and my number one was the guys from the High Performance Podcast - Jake Humphries and Damian Hughes.

Now, I am back to helping our readers keep up to date with critical people topics, and this week I am afraid is pretty heavy….

🔍 New Law: A Focus on Preventing Sexual Harassment

In October, a significant new law aimed at preventing sexual harassment in the workplace will come into effect. This legislation marks a crucial step towards ensuring safer, more inclusive working environments.

This was on the agenda before the new Labour Government, but they have strengthened it.

The key change? Employers are now required to take proactive measures to prevent sexual harassment, not just respond to complaints. This means actively fostering a culture of respect and safety for all employees.

📋 What Does This Mean for Employers?

Under the new law, employers will be legally obligated to:

📃 Implement Preventative Policies: Develop clear, comprehensive policies that outline what constitutes sexual harassment and provide examples to help employees understand. These policies should be easily accessible and communicated to all staff.

👩‍🏫 Mandatory Training: Regular training sessions on recognising and preventing sexual harassment are now required. This training should be conducted for all employees, including leadership and management, to ensure everyone understands their role in maintaining a safe work environment.

📞 Reporting Mechanism: Employers must make sure that employees know how to report incidents of sexual harassment. T

🕵️‍♀️ Prompt and Fair Investigation: When complaints are made, they must be addressed swiftly and fairly. A transparent process should be in place to investigate and respond to allegations without bias.

📋️ Regular Risk Assessments: Employers will need to conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential areas where sexual harassment might occur. These assessments will help in tailoring prevention strategies effectively.

🗣️ Creating a Culture of Respect and Safety

Beyond legal compliance, it's essential to cultivate a workplace culture where respect and safety are paramount. Here are some additional steps to consider:

• Lead by Example: Leadership should model appropriate behaviour and demonstrate a zero-tolerance stance towards harassment. When leaders take this seriously, it sets the tone for the entire organization.

• Encourage Open Communication: Foster an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up about their concerns. Regularly check in with your team to understand their experiences and perceptions.

• Empower Bystanders: Encourage employees to speak up if they witness inappropriate behaviour. Providing training on bystander intervention can empower employees to act if they see something wrong.

• Celebrate Diversity and Inclusion: A diverse and inclusive workplace tends to have lower instances of harassment. Celebrate differences and create opportunities for all employees to contribute and feel valued.

🎤 Join Our Free Webinar on September 18th!

To help you navigate these changes and prepare for compliance, we’re hosting a free webinar as part of our Make Work Pay series on September 18th. This session will delve deeper into the new law, what it means for your organisation, and practical steps you can take to ensure you're ready.

Don’t miss out! Mark your calendars for 12pm on September 18th. Click here to register for free and gain valuable insights that will help you create a safer, more respectful workplace.

🗣️ Your Thoughts Matter

We’d love to hear from you! How are you preparing for these changes? What challenges do you foresee in implementing these new requirements? Your insights are invaluable. Please reply to this email with your thoughts or questions.

Thank You and What’s Next?

Thank you for being part of our It’s All About People community.

Stay tuned for next week’s email, where we’ll be discussing INSERT HERE. Have a wonderful week!

Emma

P.S. If you're a member of our HR Hub, we are adding resources and templates to help you comply with the new law. If you’re not yet a member, join us here for only £45/month.

 P.P.S.  If you are not a Hub member you can join here for only £45/month for all your HR needs.

P.P.P.S If we have not connected on LinkedIn yet, I would love to connect

Events to Join in the coming weeks (click on the links to join us)

Make Work Pay – Labour’s 100 Day Plan for HR & Leaders (Free Webinar) - 18th September 12-1pm

HR Clinic (free to all, come and ask your HR questions) - 24th September 12pm 

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