If you have been the victim of sexual harassment, you can make a complaint to your HR department and have the right to request a full investigation into the complaint, regardless of the seniority of those involved, says the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (ICPD).
Some companies allow anonymous reporting of complaints or have digitalized systems.
Although allowing anonymity may encourage people to come forward, Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, says these types of investigations pose a “challenge” for HR departments because they cannot “operate in a vacuum closed if the organization's leaders do not reflect the company's values or expectations. standards of behavior.
Michelle Last, employment partner at Keystone Law, says the new worker protection law means “employers must take steps such as regularly carrying out risk assessments to identify situations where sexual harassment may arise, the implementation of effective policies and procedures and regular training of managers and staff. base”.
She says this also means ensuring that allegations of sexual harassment are dealt with quickly and effectively.
