WORKER PROTECTION ACT

The Worker Protection Act 2023 came into force in October 2024

We can help your business maintain compliance and support you in creating a safer workplace.

Don’t delay—penalties are severe.

Act now with a free evaluation!

The Worker Protection Act & How It Can Help Your Business

“The Worker Protection Act means that you also have a legal responsibility to prevent harassment in your organisation. It is important that employers take appropriate steps now to ensure that staff are protected against sexual harassment at work.”

In October 2024, the Worker Protection Act 2023 came into force in the UK. An amendment to the 2010 Equality Act, the Worker Protection Act 2023 aims to better protect employees from sexual harassment by prioritising prevention. 

UK employers now have a legal duty to work preventatively — rather than retrospectively — to address sexual harassment in the workplace. The Act requires employers to "take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment." This duty also extends to situations where employees are working outside of the office or attending social events that are considered an extension of work.

Key Obligations & Risks:

The Worker Protection Act 2023 is legislation designed to strengthen workers' rights and protections in the workplace. It took effect in October 2024.

Proactive Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment:

o Employers are now required to take "reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This proactive duty represents a shift from the previous focus on responding to incidents after they occur. Employers must actively work to create an environment that minimizes the risk of harassment.

Risks

  • Feature: imabi’s all in one place safeguarding, helps reduce unacceptable workplace behaviours.

  • Benefit: imabi Pro allows employers to take "reasonable steps" by centralising the reporting and monitoring of workplace behaviours. The app provides a unified platform for safeguarding tools, enabling employers to actively create an environment that minimises the risk of harassment, rather than just responding to incidents after they occur. This is achieved through proactive guidance and support, plus specifics organisational campaigns and policies.

Vicarious Liability:

o Employers can be held vicariously liable for acts of sexual harassment committed by their employees during the course of their employment. This means that if an employee harasses another employee, the employer could be legally responsible unless they can demonstrate that they took all reasonable steps to prevent it.

  • Feature: Empowers the workforce to speak up enabling an organisation to be preventative in its approach.

  • Benefit: imabi Pro supports employers in mitigating vicarious liability by empowering employees to report harassment or the threat of harassment By providing a reliable platform for reporting with preventative guidance, policy and reinforcement of training, employers can demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent harassment, thereby reducing the risk of being held liable for their employees' actions.

Potential for Compensation Uplift:

o If an employer is found to have breached their duty, an Employment Tribunal can increase any compensation awarded to the victim by up to 25%. This creates a significant financial incentive for employers to comply with the new regulations.

  • Feature: imabi Pro demonstrates effective response and manages reputational risk.

  • Benefit: By enabling quick and effective responses to harassment incidents, imabi Pro helps employers avoid breaches of their duties. This reduces the likelihood of an Employment Tribunal increasing compensation by up to 25%.

Steps Employers Should Take:

1. Policy Updates: Review and update workplace policies to ensure they reflect the new legal requirements. This includes anti-harassment policies and training programs.

  • Feature: Access accurate data from multiple sources and preventative tools to reinforce and communicate policy and process.

  • Benefit: imabi Pro offers insights that help employers review and update their workplace policies to align with new legal requirements, including anti-harassment measures. imabi Pro hosts and therefore reinforces training modules and new organisation specific policies.

2. Training: Regularly train all employees, particularly those in managerial roles, on how to prevent and address sexual harassment.

  • Feature: Provides a secure system and convenient way to communicate training material.

  • Benefit: Employers can use the app to deliver and track regular training on preventing and addressing harassment, ensuring compliance with legal standards.

3. Reporting Mechanisms: Implement or strengthen systems for reporting harassment, ensuring that they are accessible and confidential.

  • Feature: imabi Pro empowers the workforce to act and speak up anonymously.

  • Benefit: imabi Pro strengthens reporting mechanisms by providing a confidential and accessible platform for employees to report harassment. Valuable data is delivered to enable organisations to improve the workplace and create a better working environment.

4. Cultural Change: Work towards embedding a culture of zero tolerance towards harassment, by visible commitment from senior leadership.

  • Feature: The imabi Pro features create a positive and enjoyable work environment.

  • Benefit: The app helps foster a culture of zero tolerance towards harassment, supported by visible leadership commitment, guidance, support links to specialised agencies and specific workplace campaigns.

Timeline:

o These obligations came into force in October 2024, giving companies time to make necessary adjustments.

Employers were encouraged to start preparing early to ensure compliance by the deadline, which not only protects employees but also safeguards the company from potential legal and financial consequences.

  • Feature: imabi Pro delivers against all obligations and risk with regard to the Worker Protection Act 2023. Provides the structure to manage your obligations under the WPA 2023 with a secure system and data transfer.

  • Benefit: The obligations came into force in October 2024. imabi Pro helps employers stay compliant by ensuring necessary systems and policies are updated, reducing the risk of non-compliance. imabi Pro can be rolled out in a matter of days, enabling organisations to be protected against all the risks mentioned above.

Let imabi Help You Use The Worker Protection Act Positively

The Worker Protection Act 2023 came into force in October 2024.

We can help your business maintain compliance and support you in creating a safer workplace.

Don’t delay—penalties are severe.

Act now with a free evaluation!

Get in Touch

For more information about the Worker Protection Act and how imabi can help, please contact us.