Today, I was very pleased to be the Minister responding to the Factual Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill. The Government is committed to tackling sexual harassment and harassment in all its forms, both at work and outside it. From my work alongside Lancashire Police, I know that even though strong laws against sexual harassment are set out in the Equality Act 2010, there is significant evidence that the prevalence of such harassment in the workplace, remains a real, worrying problem.
This Bill will introduce two new legislative measures which will strengthen protections for employees against workplace harassment and sexual harassment.
I believe that the new legislation will not only strengthen existing legal protections for employees, but bring wider cultural change by motivating employers to prioritise prevention and ultimately improve workplace practices and culture, both in South Ribble and across the country.