Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the President's Club charity dinner in January 2018, whether she plans to review the law on sexual harassment in the workplace.

The Government is clear that unwanted conduct in the workplace that violates a person’s dignity or creates a hostile or degrading atmosphere is unacceptable. Legal protection from such harassment in the workplace exists through the Equality Act 2010, with criminal offences in this area covered in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We believe this legislation provides adequate protection for both men and women in the working environment; however, we will continue to keep the operation of the legislation under review, to ensure that it works as intended.

We also recognise that unscrupulous employers may try to intimidate vulnerable employees into apparently signing away their rights in non-disclosure agreements. In fact the law already makes such agreements unenforceable. The Equality Act 2010 says that discriminatory contract terms, and terms that restrict a person’s rights not to be discriminated against, can’t be relied on by the employer.