Sexual harassment inquiry

In February, the Commons Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) launched an inquiry into workplace sexual harassment. The inquiry will complement the WEC’s inquiry on sexual harassment of women and girls in public places which is expected to report later this year.


“More than 40% of women and more than 18% of men have experienced some form of unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace,” the committee said, announcing the inquiry.


The WEC invited written submissions by 13 March, specifically on how widespread sexual harassment in the workplace is, and whether this has increased or decreased over time. 


It is examining who experiences sexual harassment in the workplace, who perpetrates it and what the impact is on different groups.


The committee also asked which actions the government and employers should be taking to change workplace culture to prevent sexual harassment, give people more confidence to report sexual harassment and make this issue a higher priority for employers.


And it seeks evidence of how workers can be better protected from sexual harassment by clients, customers and other third parties, and of the effectiveness and accessibility of tribunals and other legal means of redress and what can be done to improve those processes.


http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/women-and-equalities-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/sexual-harassment-workplace-17-19

• LRD has published the booklet, Tackling sexual harassment at work — a guide for union reps; price £9.20 (https://www.lrdpublications.org.uk/publications.php?pub=BK&iss=1911).