New sex discrimination laws, to be introduced in April could prove a real challenge for employers according to a legal expert.
The changes to the Sex Discrimination Act, which comes into force on Sunday, will force employers to protect staff from being sexually harassed by customers or the public. It will also allow employees the opportunity to seek damages if businesses fail to take adequate protection measures.
Speaking to PersonnelToday, Stuart Chamberlain, employment law expert at online information service consult GEE, explained that these new laws could present real difficulties for many businesses across the UK.
“These new rules will affect any organisation than employs client-facing staff, such as bar and waiting staff, those who work in the professional services sector, as well as teachers and other public sector staff,” he said. “These changes present a new challenge for employers who will be able to exert far less authority over a customer than a member of staff.”
While many businesses already clearly state that the harassment of staff is not tolerated, few will be aware of new staff compensation regulations that could see staff claim for an injury to a person’s feelings.
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