Serving a customer should never mean accepting sexual harassment. Neither should caring for a patient, welcoming a hotel guest or meeting a client.
From 30 October 2026, strengthened workplace harassment protections took effect in England, Wales and Scotland. Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. Protection concerning harassment by people outside the workforce has also been strengthened. [1]
The change raises a practical question for workplaces: how does responsibility become something staff can actually rely on during a shift?
What changed on 30 October 2026?
The Employment Rights Act 2025 amended the Equality Act 2010. The preventive duty now requires employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. The earlier duty, which took effect on 26 October 2024, required reasonable steps. This is a strengthening of an existing duty. [1][2]
The reforms also address harassment by third parties, such as customers, clients and patients. Acas explains that employers can be liable for third-party harassment unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it. This is not an automatic finding of liability whenever an incident occurs. [3]
These changes apply in Great Britain: England, Wales and Scotland. They do not apply in Northern Ireland and do not describe Swedish law. The third-party provisions cover sexual harassment and certain other forms of harassment under the Equality Act. [1]
What can sexual harassment look like?
Acas explains that sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Examples can include sexual comments about someone’s appearance, sexually offensive jokes and unwanted touching. It can happen once or repeatedly, in person or online. Calling behaviour banter does not automatically make it acceptable. [2]
A customer’s spending, familiarity with the team or regular visits should never become a reason to dismiss someone’s experience.
Prevention needs to reach the working day
Acas identifies measures such as assessing risks, recording incidents and responses, setting clear policies, and telling customers what consequences harassment may have. Which steps are reasonable depends on the organisation and its work. There is no single checklist that guarantees legal compliance. [3]
For Spher, the meaningful test is whether those arrangements work when someone needs them. Does a manager take the concern seriously? Is responsibility clear? Does the workplace follow through?
These are questions about the environment an employer creates. A woman should not have to become better at tolerating harassment to keep doing her job.
Stronger rules are a starting point
The official guidance establishes what changed. It does not establish that harassment has already fallen or that every workplace has improved its response. Implementation deserves attention: how employers identify risks, respond to incidents and assess whether their actions are working.
At Spher, we believe women deserve everyday freedom, respect and connection. Community can offer solidarity, while responsibility for preventing workplace harassment remains with employers and those whose behaviour causes harm.
Sources and editorial approach
Sources checked on 4 November 2026. Prepared with AI assistance under the editorial byline Assi Spher. This article explains a development in Great Britain and provides general information, not individual legal advice. The cover is an AI-generated illustration of a fictional workplace.
[1] UK government: workplace harassment, updated 3 November 2026
[2] Acas: sexual harassment, updated 30 October 2026
[3] Acas: preventing harassment, updated 30 October 2026
[2] Acas: earlier preventive duty from 26 October 2024
Employment Rights Act 2025, sections 20 and 21; commencement annotations (20)
Employment Rights Act 2025, sections 20 and 21; commencement annotations (21)