In no small part prompted by the #MeToo campaign, measures are afoot to strengthen protection against sexual harassment in the workplace. As part of this the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has recently published guidance to help workers and employers understand the extent and impact of different types of harassment in the workplace, the legal obligations in this area and best practice for effective prevention and response.
The guidance, billed as "the authoritative and comprehensive guide to the law and best practice in tackling harassment", is a user friendly and practical overview that employers are well advised not to ignore. It comes with seven steps that employers should consider taking to prevent and deal with harassment in the workplace. While employment tribunals are not obliged to take the guidance into account, it may well be used in proceedings as evidence of best practice, and the EHRC has said that it will form the basis for the promised statutory code, which employers will have to act on when it is introduced.
Read the full article by Åsa Waring from Mishcon de Reya here.
Mishcon de Reya is a law firm with offices in London and New York. Founded by Victor Mishcon in a one-room office in Brixton in 1937, we now employ more than 700 people, with over 400 lawyers offering a wide range of legal services to companies and individuals.
In every area of the law that we operate, Mishcon de Reya prides itself in providing a best in class service to its clients. Specifically we offer the following legal services: corporate; dispute resolution; employment; family; private client; and real estate. An entrepreneurial spirit - where candour and involvement are key - characterises our ability to develop and execute the strategies required to achieve our clients’ goals in all these areas.
We are an independent firm with an international footprint that extends far beyond our offices in London and New York. A large part of our business is advising on multi-jurisdictional transactions and disputes; established links with overseas practices help serve the needs of our increasingly international client base.
Our clients are dynamic and sophisticated and we reflect that in our belief in challenging the conventional or accepted ways of working. We like to solve problems quickly. We fiercely guard our clients' interests, recognising the significant nexus between business affairs and personal affairs and the ways in which this affects our clients.
We appreciate the privilege of sitting alongside our clients as a trusted advisor. Building strong personal connections to our clients and their businesses is important to us. It is for these reasons we say 'It's business. But it's personal'.