Tackling sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is a trade union issue

We know that it takes courage to report sexual harassment at work, whether you’ve experienced it directly or seen it happen to somebody else.

We also know that workplace cultures that routinely tolerate sexism and misogyny are those that are also most likely to foster the most extreme instances of sexual harassment.

Fundamentally sexual harassment arises from misuse of power – organisational and physical – and it can simply be too much to deal with on your own.

Prospect is on your side.

We are committed to using every tool at our disposal to protect members from sexual harassment at work.

We can:

  • Represent you individually – providing expert support to victims of sexual harassment, both in your workplace and through legal proceedings.
  • Use our collective bargaining experience and influence to shape better workplace policies and cultures, to prevent sexual harassment from happening in the workplace.
  • Organise and campaign – for awareness and better education of workers and employers, and for stronger laws to protect workers. We will not stand back from publicly criticising employers who fail to act.

What we’re doing

Our work on tackling sexual harassment doesn’t stop. We are:

  • Launching a new Sexual Harassment Support Service for members affected by sexual harassment.
  • Updating our workplace guidance and will be issuing it on a sectoral basis in 2024.
  • Devising a short training course for representatives to support victims of workplace sexual harassment.
  • Campaigning where we have evidence of sexual harassment being a problem in particular industries and workplaces, such as the Ministry of Defence.

“From speaking to our members in defence, we found that 60% of women in the sector had been sexually harassed at work. We cannot allow this behaviour to go unaddressed. If we want to stamp out sexual harassment from the workplace for good, those who have experienced sexual harassment need a voice. Our Sexual Harassment Support Service team will be there to provide care, support and legal advice.”

Helen Carp, AWE branch assistant secretary and Prospect NEC member