Third-party Harassment – Another Issue for the Education Sector?

Legislation is expected to take effect in 2024, which may cause particular difficulties in the education sector in relation to new proposals relating to vicarious liability for third-party harassment. It is anticipated that this may result in an increase in employment tribunal claims in this area. It is, therefore, important that schools are aware of the changes and that senior leaders are ready and prepared to deal with issues that might be raised regarding third-party harassment. There has been substantial media attention recently around harassment in the workplace, including cases involving McDonalds and IKEA. In this session, we will review the current protection that employees have in relation to harassment, the proposed changes, and current cases in this area. We will consider how this might affect the education sector, potential protection available for employers and what steps you can take to prepare for this.