Anti-harassment policy and harassment risk assessment
From 30 October 2026, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and can be liable for harassment of their staff by clients, customers and the public. These two free templates help you put the basics in place. Read them free online. Enter your name and email once to download the editable Word versions.
- 2templates
- Wordeditable .docx
- £0free to use
Templates, not legal advice. Fill in the parts in red, change anything that doesn’t fit how your business works, and have the policy signed by a director. Share it with everyone it covers.
The new harassment duties in brief
- Since October 2024: employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. Tribunals can increase compensation by up to 25% if they haven’t.
- From 30 October 2026: the duty becomes “all reasonable steps”, a higher bar.
- From 30 October 2026: employers can be liable for harassment of their staff by third parties, such as clients, customers and members of the public, related to any protected characteristic, unless they took all reasonable steps to prevent it.
- What’s expected: a clear policy, a risk assessment, training, easy ways to report, and acting on concerns. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s eight-step guide is the benchmark.
Read more
Our October 2026 health and safety update covers this change alongside other new laws, HSE’s current focus and recent prosecutions.
Want this done for you? We can tailor the policy, carry out the risk assessment with your team and train your managers.
More free tools for your business
Free COSHH assessments, risk assessment and RAMS templates, a health and safety self-check and a DSE workstation assessment.
