Abstract The impetus towards improving mechanisms to address harassment at work has become increasingly salient in recent years, with the #MeToo movement highlighting systematic power dynamics underlying sexual harassment and the ILO’s Convention 190, adopted in 2019, mandating an effective and inclusive approach to tackling violence and harassment. The existing framework for addressing workplace harassment in Britain has been criticised for lacking a proactive and preventative approach or redress for harassment by third parties, as well as obstacles to victims speaking out about their experiences. This article examines the extent to which the provisions on harassment at ss20-24 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 (‘ERA 2025’) remedy the identified gaps in protection, including with reference to unsuccessful amendments during the parliamentary process, and comparative analysis of recent reforms in South Africa and Australia. It argues that the ERA 2025 amendments represent much needed steps towards treating workplace harassment as a structural issue requiring a proactive response, albeit subject to details yet to be determined in Regulations. The article also identifies certain areas where the ERA 2025 reforms have not gone far enough to resolve deficiencies in protection, including regarding personal scope and the lack of a clear health and safety-based approach.
Natalie Sedacca (Sun,) studied this question.