Employers in England, Wales and Scotland should check how they prevent sexual harassment before a strengthened legal duty takes effect on 30 October 2026.
The change requires employers to take all reasonable steps, rather than reasonable steps, to prevent sexual harassment. Acas confirms the start date and explains the strengthened duty.
Natalie Peacock, employment law specialist at Rogers & Norton, says employers should use the time to review the measures they actually take, rather than relying on a policy in a handbook.
“The addition of the word ‘all’ strengthens the employer’s duty to prevent sexual harassment.”
Natalie Peacock, employment law specialist, Rogers & Norton
Review how prevention works in practice
Peacock recommends regular risk assessments, staff training and clear procedures for reporting harassment. Employers already have a preventative duty: the change strengthens it, rather than introducing the idea of prevention for the first time.
“They should consider conducting regular risk assessments to identify situations where and when harassment may occur and creating clear procedures for employees to report harassment,” she said.
Acas says the measures that are reasonable will depend on the organisation, including its size, sector and work. Its guidance covers online as well as in-person behaviour and recommends that workers have more than one way to report concerns.
Why it matters for HR and recruitment
For HR teams, the practical task is to connect policies with everyday management: identify risks, make reporting routes usable and check that training fits the workplace. Employers that already take every reasonable preventative step may already meet the strengthened requirement.
Source: comments supplied by Rogers & Norton; Acas guidance checked on 8 October 2026. Image: editorial illustration created for Onrec.
