EHRC technical guidance and 8-step guide on sexual harassment updated
From 30 October 2026, employers’ legal obligation was strengthened, shifting from taking “reasonable steps” to taking “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. From the same date, employers can also face legal responsibility for harassment impacting their workers, unless they can show they took all reasonable steps to stop it.
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What's changed in the guidance?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has revised its Sexual harassment and harassment at work: technical guidance and its Employer 8-step guide: Preventing sexual harassment at work, reflecting the recent updates introduced through the Employment Rights Act 2025.
The EHRC’s revised guidance sets out practical illustrations of preventative measures that employers may reasonably be expected to take to meet their legal obligations. This covers, for instance, carrying out a risk assessment and delivering behaviour-focused training.
The guidance also clarifies employers’ duties to prevent harassment by third parties, such as customers, clients, contractors, service users, and the wider public, and suggests workable actions to discharge those responsibilities.
Examples include practical steps like reducing or avoiding lone working and providing hands-on staff training on de-escalating abusive or harassing conduct.
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:
"Everyone should be able to do their job free from harassment. The law now requires employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. This means looking at where risks arise, acting before incidents happen and checking that preventative measures are effective. As the equality regulator, it’s our job to help employers fully understand their responsibilities to protect their staff from harassment."
"Our updated guidance gives employers practical support to understand the law, providing examples of reasonable preventative steps that can be taken as well as information on preventing third-party harassment. We urge employers to read our updated guidance and make sure the right protections are in place."
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