Sexual Harassment Prevention — From Legal Duty to Everyday Workplace Behaviour
Sexual harassment can arise in many different workplace situations — through comments, jokes, messages, touching, social events, online communication, customer behaviour or conduct that has gradually become accepted as part of the culture. It is not always obvious. What one person describes as harmless banter may be experienced very differently by somebody else.
Third-party harassment adds another important dimension. Employees may experience inappropriate behaviour from customers, clients, contractors, suppliers, patients, service users, visitors or other members of the public as part of their working day.
This full-day programme develops the knowledge, judgement and practical skills employees and managers need to recognise inappropriate behaviour, respond confidently and contribute to effective prevention. The emphasis throughout is on turning legal responsibilities into practical workplace behaviour.
Want to discuss whether this programme fits your organisation? Email training@elevateimpacttraining.com
What Changes From 30 October 2026
Employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment
From 30 October 2026, employers will be required to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. The current duty requires employers to take reasonable steps — this is a meaningfully higher bar.
From the same date, employers can also be liable where a worker is harassed by a third party — such as a customer, client, contractor, service user or member of the public — unless the employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent that harassment.
Acas advises organisations to start preparing for these changes in advance. The Employment Rights Act 2025 establishes these strengthened duties. However, some elements of the wider 2026 employment law reforms remain subject to consultation and further regulations or guidance, and the law is expected to specify further what constitutes "reasonable steps" in future. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has also confirmed it is updating its sexual harassment guidance to reflect the 2026 changes.
This programme combines the law and official guidance available at the time of delivery with practical workplace skills, preventative behaviour and management responsibilities.
From Reacting to Preventing
Organisations need more than a policy saying that harassment will not be tolerated. The direction of the law increasingly places the emphasis on prevention rather than simply reacting after an incident has occurred. What constitutes reasonable action will depend on factors such as the organisation, its size, sector, working environment and the particular risks faced by its workforce.
Training is an important part of a wider preventative approach, alongside appropriate policies, reporting arrangements, risk assessment, monitoring, leadership behaviour and organisational controls. Managers and employees need to understand what sexual harassment actually means, how inappropriate behaviour can develop, why intention is not the only consideration, when workplace banter crosses the line, how power relationships affect behaviour, how third-party harassment can arise, and when Human Resources or senior management need to become involved.
The aim is not to turn managers into employment lawyers. It is to help them recognise, respond, record, refer and review appropriately, while understanding when Human Resources or specialist legal advice may be needed.
Half-Day Workshop vs Full-Day Programme
Both options provide practical learning, but they serve different needs. The full-day programme is not simply a longer version of the half-day workshop — it provides substantially more depth, practical skills practice and management application.
| Half-Day Workshop | Full-Day Programme | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3–3.5 hours | 6–7 hours |
| Positioning | Essential awareness and practical prevention | Deeper practical capability |
| Best for | Organisation-wide awareness and mixed employee groups | Managers, leaders and teams requiring greater depth |
| Bystander intervention | Included | Included with additional practice |
| Receiving a disclosure | Introductory awareness | Detailed skills practice |
| Manager intervention | Overview | In-depth |
| Risk assessment | Awareness | Practical workplace activity |
| Documentation | Basic awareness | Detailed |
| Case studies | Short scenarios | Extended and complex scenarios |
| Action planning | Personal actions | Personal and organisational actions |
Not sure which format is right? Speak to our training specialist on 07544 534759.
What Delegates and Organisations Gain From This Programme
Greater confidence recognising sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behaviour
Clearer understanding of the difference between intention and impact
Better judgement about when workplace jokes, comments or behaviour may cross the line
Practical skills for challenging inappropriate behaviour professionally
Greater confidence responding when somebody raises a concern or disclosure
Improved understanding of third-party harassment involving customers, clients and contractors
Practical bystander intervention techniques
Stronger understanding of manager responsibilities and escalation routes
Greater awareness of risk in social events, digital communication and remote working
Practical tools for identifying and reducing harassment risks within the organisation
A workplace action plan focused on prevention rather than simply reacting after an incident
By the End of the Programme, Delegates Will Be Able To
- Explain what sexual harassment means in a workplace context
- Recognise behaviour that may constitute sexual harassment or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment
- Understand why intention alone does not determine whether behaviour is appropriate
- Recognise when workplace banter, jokes, comments, messages or physical behaviour may cross acceptable boundaries
- Identify different forms of third-party harassment
- Use practical techniques to challenge inappropriate behaviour
- Respond appropriately when somebody raises a concern or disclosure
- Avoid common manager mistakes such as dismissing concerns, making assumptions or promising complete confidentiality
- Recognise situations that require escalation to Human Resources or senior management
- Identify potential harassment risks within their own working environment and develop practical actions to strengthen prevention
Full-Day Programme Outline
The programme uses realistic workplace scenarios, discussion and practical exercises throughout — the goal is judgement, not a list of forbidden words.
Delegates explore what sexual harassment means, the distinction between intention and impact, and where everyday behaviour — jokes, comments, messages, social media — can cross the line. This includes a dedicated look at the "it was only banter" problem, and how power relationships between managers and employees, or clients and staff, can affect whether somebody feels able to challenge inappropriate behaviour. A detailed case study exercise brings these themes together.
Delegates explore harassment from customers, clients, contractors, patients and members of the public, using sector-specific examples across construction, retail, hospitality, healthcare and professional services. The session covers five practical bystander response options — direct challenge, distract, support, report and escalate — followed by a structured workplace risk assessment activity examining people, places, situations, relationships, processes and culture.
This session focuses on the manager's role when somebody raises a concern — what to say, what not to say, and the difference between treating information sensitively and promising absolute confidentiality. Delegates practise receiving a disclosure, explore how social events and digital communication blur workplace boundaries, and learn what should and should not be recorded. The day closes with guidance on knowing when to escalate, a final detailed case study, and personal and organisational action planning using the Elevate Impact framework: Recognise → Respond → Record → Refer → Review.
Suitable for Managers, Leaders, HR Teams and Employees
The programme can be adapted depending on the audience. For an all-employee group, it places greater emphasis on behaviour, workplace culture, bystander intervention and reporting concerns. For a manager group, it goes deeper into receiving disclosures, intervention, risk awareness, documentation and escalation.
Want this tailored to your sector or organisational context? Email training@elevateimpacttraining.com
Flexible Delivery — Wherever You Are
Every programme is designed around your organisation — your sector, workforce, customer relationships, contractor arrangements and existing reporting procedures. Delivered in-house or virtually, available across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Europe.
Face-to-Face
Delivered at your workplace — scenarios adapted to your sector, workforce and working environment
Virtual
Delivered via Microsoft Teams or Zoom with structured discussion and breakout activities
Bespoke
Case studies built around your sector, customer relationships and known organisational risks
Legal Content Reviewed August 2026
Employment law and supporting guidance are continuing to develop throughout 2026 and 2027. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces strengthened duties concerning the prevention of sexual harassment and third-party harassment from 30 October 2026.
The headline legal changes and implementation date have been confirmed. However, some detailed regulations, Codes of Practice and supporting guidance connected with the wider employment law changes continue to be developed, consulted upon or updated. Acas states that in most cases the detail of how the October 2026 changes will be implemented remains subject to Government consultation, and that further detail on what constitutes "reasonable steps" may be specified in future. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has also confirmed it is updating its sexual harassment guidance to reflect the 2026 changes.
Elevate Impact Training reviews relevant Government, Acas and Equality and Human Rights Commission information and updates the legal content of this programme where appropriate. The programme reflects the law and official guidance available at the time of delivery. Where a future requirement has been announced but detailed regulations or guidance have not yet been finalised, this is clearly identified during the training.
Training is one part of an organisation's wider approach to preventing harassment. Policies, procedures, risk assessments, reporting arrangements, leadership behaviour, workplace culture and appropriate organisational controls may also be required.
Important: This programme provides practical workplace training, awareness and management development. It does not constitute legal advice, and attendance should not be taken as confirmation that an organisation is legally compliant. Organisations should seek appropriate Human Resources or specialist legal advice regarding individual cases or specific legal matters.
Legal content last reviewed: August 2026