Sexual Harassment Policy Template UK: 2026 Legal Update
Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy UK (POSH) 2024 Template for Download
Since 26 October 2024, employers in Great Britain have had a duty under section 40A of the Equality Act 2010 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers. From 30 October 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 strengthens this duty: employers in Great Britain must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. The Act also introduces employer liability for harassment by third parties where the employer failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent it. Read the Acas 2026 guidance and sections 20 and 21 of the Employment Rights Act 2025. This page’s legal notes were updated on 18 October 2026; the downloadable file is still identified as the 2024 template and has not been changed by this page update, so review and adapt the file before use under the new rules. A template alone cannot guarantee compliance. These changes apply in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has a separate equality-law framework. The template is a starting point to adapt to your workplace; using it alone cannot guarantee legal compliance. In a successful sexual harassment claim, an employment tribunal may increase compensation by up to 25% if the employer failed to comply with the preventive duty.
Product Summary
Since 26 October 2024, employers in Great Britain have had a duty under section 40A of the Equality Act 2010 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers. From 30 October 2026, this becomes an all reasonable steps duty, and the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces liability for third-party harassment where an employer failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent it. The Prevention of Sexual Harassment UK 2024 Policy Template offers a starting point for employers to adapt to their workplace and review against the current legal duties, while fostering a safer, more respectful working environment. In a successful sexual harassment claim, an employment tribunal may increase compensation by up to 25% if the employer failed to comply with the preventive duty.
The Prevention of Sexual Harassment UK Policy Template (POSH) policy aims to prevent sexual harassment, respond effectively to incidents, and promote long-term change by:
- Educating all staff about sexual harassment and their role in creating a harassment-free culture;
- Promoting a working environment that respects dignity, free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, and violence, including gender-based violence;
- Providing a clear process for managing and addressing incidents of harassment;
- Capturing lessons from incidents to create a harassment-free environment;
- Monitoring progress toward achieving a harassment-free workplace; and
- Building continuous improvement into the company’s culture.
3 Sample Pages from the full 14 page document:
This Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy UK (POSH) 2024 Template includes the following sections:
- The Policy Statement
- Definition of Sexual Harassment
- Preventing Sexual Harassment
- Responsibilities of managers and supervisors
- Contact Officers
- Responsibilities of workers
- Trade Union Involvement and Employee Representation
- Complaints procedures (Informal and formal)
- Implementation of this policy
You can read more about the new Prevention of Sexual Harassment laws here.
Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy UK (POSH) 2024 Template for Download
Since 26 October 2024, employers in Great Britain have had a duty under section 40A of the Equality Act 2010 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers. The template is a starting point to adapt to your workplace; using it alone cannot guarantee legal compliance. In a successful sexual harassment claim, an employment tribunal may increase compensation by up to 25% if the employer failed to comply with the preventive duty.
