From 26 October 2024 there will be a new proactive duty on employers to “take reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. We will consider the implications for law firms, and what law firms should be doing to prepare for this.
Taking proactive steps to prevent harassment and bullying will assist law firms in complying with their legal and regulatory duties. In addition, heightened expectations around the issue of workplace culture mean that law firms which are unprepared for the imposition of this new duty could face an increase in employment claims.
We will consider culture issues in law firms, focusing on harassment and bullying, and will look at:
regulatory expectations
the current legal requirements, and how regulatory obligations go further
notification requirements for law firms
implications of the upcoming legal duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.