Ministers should introduce new laws to force employers to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, MPs have said.
Employees were being failed by the government, employers and regulators, with current laws insufficient to protect workers and often not available to them in practice anyway, according to a report from parliament’s women and equalities committee.
It calls on the government to introduce a duty on employers supported by a statutory code of practice.
Government, regulators and employers had been “dodging their responsibilities” for far too long, said Maria Miller, the Tory MP and committee chair.
“It is utterly shameful that in 2018, unwanted sexual comments, touching, groping and assault are seen as an everyday occurrence and part of the culture in many workplaces,” she said. “There is currently little incentive for employers to take robust action.”
According to a YouGov survey, 52% of women aged 18 to 24 say they have experienced unwanted sexual attention in public places, and 38% have experienced unwanted sexual touching. Reported sexual offences on trains and tubes have more than doubled in the past five years. Research from the TUC and the Everyday Sexism Project suggests half of all working women – and two-thirds of young women – have been sexually harassed at work.
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