Preventing Bullying and Sexual Harassment at Work Training Course

09:30 – 09:40 Welcome and Introduction

Setting the context and learning objectives

• The scale of the challenge: current research on workplace harassment prevalence and underreporting
• Why the law has changed: the shift from reactive liability to proactive prevention
• Course objectives and Chatham House Rule
• Delegate introductions and current challenges

09:40 – 10:10 Interactive Scenarios: What Constitutes Harassment?

Testing understanding through real-world situations

• The legal definitions: sexual harassment, harassment related to protected characteristics, and bullying
• The nine protected characteristics and harassment by association and perception
• Where the 'workplace' extends to: remote working, social events, client entertainment, conferences
• The subjectivity challenge: 'purpose or effect' and why intent doesn't matter

Interactive poll: Delegates vote on five realistic scenarios before group discussion reveals the legal position and explores grey areas.

10:10 – 10:55 Legal Update: The New Landscape

Understanding your current and future obligations

• The Worker Protection Act 2023: the anticipatory duty to take 'reasonable steps' now in force since October 2024
• What 'reasonable steps' means: the objective test and factors tribunals will consider
• Third-party harassment: EHRC guidance on customers, clients and contractors
• Consequences of non-compliance: 25% compensation uplift and EHRC enforcement powers
• The Employment Rights Bill: 'all reasonable steps', direct third-party liability and whistleblowing protection coming in 2026
• The EHRC 8-step framework: from policy to monitoring and evaluation

Key takeaway: Checklist of immediate actions every employer should take to demonstrate compliance with the current duty.

10:55 – 11:05 COMFORT BREAK (10 minutes)

11:05 – 11:30 Breakout 1: Risk Assessment Workshop

Identifying and mitigating harassment risks in your organisation

• Risk factors identified by the EHRC: workforce demographics, power imbalances, working patterns and culture
• Third-party risks: customer-facing roles, client entertainment, contractors and visitors
• Environmental risks: lone working, night shifts, remote working, overnight travel
• Cultural indicators: tolerance of 'banter', previous complaints, reporting rates

Breakout exercise: In small groups, delegates identify the top risk factors present in their own organisations using the EHRC framework and develop prioritised mitigation actions. Groups share insights and learn from different sector perspectives.

11:30 – 11:55 Policy and Procedures: The EHRC 8-Step Framework

Building compliant and effective prevention systems

• Step 1 – Effective anti-harassment policies: what must be included and common gaps
• Step 2 – Engaging staff: creating safe channels for raising concerns
• Step 3 – Risk assessment: the foundation of compliance
• Step 4 – Reporting mechanisms: formal, informal and anonymous options
• Step 5 – Training: mandatory, tailored and regularly refreshed
• Step 6 – Handling complaints: immediate response, investigation and protection from victimisation
• Step 7 – Third-party harassment: treating it as seriously as colleague harassment
• Step 8 – Monitoring and evaluation: complaints data, surveys and continuous improvement

11:55 – 12:25 Breakout 2: Case Study Resolution

Applying frameworks to realistic workplace situations

Delegates work in groups on assigned scenarios, applying the legal framework and EHRC guidance to develop recommended responses:

Scenario A: The Office 'Banter'

A female developer in a predominantly male tech company has complained about persistent sexual jokes from her team leader and colleagues. When she asked them to stop, she was told 'it's just banter'. She is now off sick with stress, and two other women have approached HR confidentially with similar concerns.

Scenario B: The Client Entertainment

At a client dinner, a senior partner from a major client made persistent sexual comments to a junior associate and attempted to touch her inappropriately. Her manager witnessed part of this but said nothing. The manager has since told her she should 'learn to handle difficult clients'. The account is worth £2m annually.

Scenario C: The Remote Working Dilemma

A team leader has been making increasingly personal comments to his direct report during one-to-one video calls, escalating to inappropriate late-night messages on the work chat system. He is seen as a 'high performer' with visibility to senior leadership. The employee has mentioned her discomfort to a colleague but hasn't made a formal complaint, fearing career damage.

Breakout role play: Groups prepare their approach, identify the type of harassment, assess what prevention steps should have been in place, and recommend immediate and longer-term actions. Groups present to the wider cohort and receive peer feedback.

12:25 – 12:45 Knowledge Check: Interactive Quiz

Testing and reinforcing key learning

Interactive Quiz (Kahoot/Mentimeter) – 8 questions testing:

• Legal knowledge: the preventative duty, when it applies, compensation uplifts and enforcement powers
• Risk factors: identifying what increases the likelihood of harassment in different workplace contexts
• EHRC framework: understanding the 8 steps and what each requires
• Practical application: choosing appropriate responses to realistic scenarios

Quiz Objectives:

• Reinforce key learning points from the session in an engaging format
• Identify any areas where delegates may need further support or reading
• Create energy and engagement to close the session positively
• Provide delegates with a benchmark of their knowledge

12:45 – 13:00 Q&A Clinic and Close

Consolidating learning and planning next steps

• Key takeaways: the five things to remember from today's session
• Personal action planning: each delegate identifies three priority actions for their organisation
• Signposting to resources: EHRC guidance, Acas materials and further learning opportunities
• Live Q&A: final opportunity to put questions to the trainer
• Close and evaluation

By the end of this course, delegates will be able to:

1. Understand the current legal framework for preventing workplace bullying and sexual harassment, including key provisions of the Worker Protection Act 2023 and upcoming Employment Rights Bill changes
2. Recognise the different forms of harassment, bullying and inappropriate behaviour and understand when employer liability arises
3. Conduct a sexual harassment risk assessment using the EHRC framework and identify appropriate mitigation measures
4. Apply the EHRC 8-step framework to audit and improve their organisation's policies, procedures and practices
5. Handle complaints of harassment effectively, including third-party harassment, while protecting complainants from victimisation
6. Build a proactive prevention culture that demonstrates compliance with the anticipatory duty

• Legal update: Worker Protection Act 2023 and Employment Rights Bill

The new positive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, the 25% compensation uplift for breach, EHRC enforcement powers, and upcoming changes including 'all reasonable steps' and direct third-party liability

• The business and human case for prevention

Why early intervention matters, with research showing 40-50% of women experience workplace sexual harassment yet 80% do not report it, plus the reputational, cultural and financial costs of getting it wrong

• Definitions and boundaries

Legal definitions of sexual harassment, harassment related to protected characteristics, and bullying; the nine protected characteristics; harassment by association and perception; and where the 'workplace' extends to

• Risk assessment

EHRC-identified risk factors including workforce demographics, power imbalances, lone working, third-party contact, workplace culture and previous complaint history; how to conduct and document assessments

• The EHRC 8-step framework

Detailed guidance on policy development, staff engagement, risk assessment, reporting channels, training requirements, complaint handling, third-party harassment and monitoring and evaluation

• Handling complaints and investigations

Immediate response, protecting confidentiality, interim measures, investigation principles, supporting complainants, dealing with third-party harassment and avoiding victimisation

• Common workplace scenarios

Applying skills to real situations including 'banter' culture, client and customer harassment, remote working harassment, handling high-performer perpetrators and managing informal disclosures

"Excellent and comprehensive update on the new legal duties. The case studies were particularly valuable – they made the legal principles come alive and gave me confidence to tackle situations I'd been uncertain about." - HR Business Partner, Technology Sector

 "Really practical session with immediately applicable tools. The risk assessment exercise helped me identify gaps in our current approach that I can now address. The EHRC 8-step framework is now my go-to checklist." - Employee Relations Manager, Retail

 "The trainer created a safe space to discuss really difficult topics. I appreciated the balance between legal content and practical application. Left feeling much clearer about our obligations and what 'reasonable steps' actually looks like in practice." - Head of People, Professional Services

This course is designed for:

• HR professionals and HR business partners responsible for policy development and employee relations
• Line managers and team leaders who need to recognise, prevent and respond to harassment
• Employee relations specialists and case managers handling complaints and investigations
• Diversity, equity and inclusion leads developing prevention strategies
• In-house legal counsel and compliance officers assessing organisational risk
• Senior leaders and executives with responsibility for workplace culture
• Anyone involved in developing or delivering harassment prevention training

Delegates from all sectors will benefit, particularly those in industries with identified risk factors including male-dominated workforces, customer-facing roles, client entertainment, remote or hybrid working, and environments where 'banter' culture has historically been tolerated.

What does BFI specialise in?
BFI provides expert-led training in HR compliance, employment law, immigration for employers, union relations, workplace inclusion, and AI and talent solutions.

Who typically attends your courses?
Attendees include HR managers, legal teams, compliance officers, operations leaders, and public sector employers.

Are your trainers practitioners?
Yes. All trainers are experienced specialists; we feature practitioners from the public and private sectors as well as lawyers, policy advisers, former regulators, and consultants.

How do I book a course?
Choose an event on the website and click Register. You can pay online with a credit card or request an invoice.

Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. Public and private-sector organisations may use PO numbers. These can be added during the registration process, or can be retrospectively added to am invoice if the place has been booked already.

We need to set you up as a Supplier, can you complete a form or send me over your company information?
Yes, we can do either; please contact us via info@bfi.co.uk

Can I get a PO number added to our invoice?
Yes, please send details through to info@bfi.co.uk or reply to us using your confirmation email

Do you offer group discounts?
Yes. Discounts for multiple bookings are automatically applied at checkout. For groups of over ten, it may be more cost-effective to run the course in-house. Call 01983 861133 for details

Can I transfer my place to another date or colleague?
Yes. Substitutions are free, and transfers are typically allowed within a set timeframe.

What is your cancellation policy?
BFI follows standard UK training-industry cancellation terms.

How are online courses delivered?
Training is delivered live via Zoom with interactive Q\&A and case-based discussion.

Will I receive slides and supporting materials?
Yes. Attendees receive slides, templates (where relevant), and many other useful documents and links.

Will I receive a copy of the event recording?
Our monthly subscription and webinar clients receive recordings of the live sessions; otherwise we do not record our courses to encourage confidential discussion and questions under the Chatham House Rule

What time zone are online events delivered in?
All events are delivered in UTC / London time unless otherwise stated

What is included in in-person events?
Full-day training includes refreshments, full documentation which is emailed prior to the event and networking opportunities.

Are your venues accessible?
Yes. All venues are fully accessible.

Are your courses CPD-certified?
Many courses are accredited by The CPD Certification Service.

Can I ask questions about my organisation’s situation?
Yes. Trainers answer questions during the session and can respond afterward.

Will the training help us prepare for an audit?
Yes, on our audit courses you will learn what triggers visits, what officers look for, and how to evidence compliance.

Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. All attendees receive a digital certificate of course completion.

Do you offer private or in-house training?
Yes. All courses can be tailored for your team. Visit https://bfi.co.uk/team-training/

Do you offer consultancy?
Yes. BFI offers policy reviews, audit preparation, HR compliance support, and workforce advisory services.