How to Get Your Anti-Harassment Policy Ready for the Worker Protection Act 2024

30th July 2024

The Worker Protection Act 2024 is shaking things up, and HR teams need to ensure their Anti-Harassment Policies are ready for the changes. Don’t worry—here’s a quick, practical guide to help you update your policy and keep your workplace compliant and harassment-free.

The Act focuses on prevention, so here’s what to watch out for:

  • Prevention Over Reaction: Employers are expected to prevent harassment, not just respond after it happens.
  • Mandatory Training: Annual training for all employees is now a must.
  • Confidential Reporting: Your policy needs clear, private ways for employees to report harassment.
  • Timely Investigations: Investigations should be quick and thorough.
  • Stronger Protections: Employees who speak up are safeguarded against retaliation.

Time for a refresh! Update your Anti-Harassment Policy to reflect the new requirements:

  • Clear Definitions: Define harassment, including examples, so everyone knows what’s unacceptable.
  • Proactive Approach: Include your harassment prevention measures, like training and leadership’s role.
  • Reporting Options: Outline multiple ways employees can confidentially report issues—anonymous options included.
  • Investigation Procedures: Highlight the importance of fast, fair investigations.
  • Consequences: Clearly state what happens if harassment is confirmed.
  • Non-Retaliation: Reassure staff that retaliation for reporting will not be tolerated.

The new Act means your training program needs a boost:

  • Annual Sessions: All employees should receive yearly training. Add extra sessions for new hires.
  • Content: Include harassment definitions, reporting steps, confidentiality, and the non-retaliation promise.
  • Leadership Involvement: Make sure leaders actively support and promote the training.

Your policy should be accessible and clear:

  • Visibility: Ensure it’s on your intranet, in handbooks, and part of onboarding.
  • Reminders: Use internal comms to regularly remind employees about the policy.
  • Feedback: Encourage feedback on the policy and processes to help improve them.

Finally, make sure you’re always compliant:

  • Regular Audits: Review your policy and practices to stay aligned with the law.
  • Track Incidents: Keep a record of complaints and outcomes to spot any patterns.
  • Update When Necessary: Revise the policy when laws change or new issues arise.

Updating your Anti-Harassment Policy for the Worker Protection Act 2024 is crucial to fostering a safe, respectful, and legally compliant workplace. By following these steps, you’ll be well-prepared to prevent and address harassment while keeping your team informed and protected.

About the Author:

Paul is Co-founder & CTO for Big 5 Assessments. He's worked in the Psychometric Testing industry for over 25 years. Paul is responsible for the day–to–day running of the business, but also for overseeing the technology side of the business. Paul has extensive experience in software development, product management, sales and marketing. In addition, Paul also has frontline recruitment & selection experience from sourcing and attracting candidates, assessing, screening, behavioural interviewing, offer management and resource planning as well as developing assessment centres and competency frameworks from scratch.

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