Sexual Harassment Checklist

We’ve been following the necessary uproar after Channel 4’s Dispatches Russell Brand: In Plain Sight documentary aired. More than half of women and two-thirds of LGBT people report experiencing workplace sexual harassment, a problem that is particularly acute in hospitality. The vast majority of bar and waiting staff say they have either experienced or witnessed inappropriate sexual behaviour. 

The Equality Human Rights Commission and UKHospitality have a checklist and action plan that highlights sector-specific scenarios in which harassment may occur, such as power imbalances and lone working, and then suggests practical preventative measures.  The checklist focuses on three main areas employers should consider at each part of the day, and looks at steps that can be taken before, during and after a shift:

• Communicating with staff: how to promote a culture of zero tolerance and let staff know that any sexual harassment will be taken seriously.

• Changing the work environment: how to control the environment that people are working in to make it as safe as possible.

• Working practices: policies and procedures to be put in place so employers are prepared to deal with sexual harassment when it happens.
  
  Kelly’s Cause stand in solidarity with those who have experienced sexual assault whichever sector they work in.

• You can find the checklist here.