Preventing sexual harassment and harassment at work

November 2, 2026

Page updated November 2026

Hospitality businesses have a legal responsibility to protect their staff from harassment at work, including harassment by customers, guests and other third parties.

Changes to employment law that came into force on 30 October 2026 have strengthened employers’ responsibilities. UKHospitality has been working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to ensure its updated guidance reflects the circumstances faced by hospitality businesses.

What has changed?

Preventing sexual harassment

Since October 2024, employers have been required to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees.

From 30 October 2026, this duty has been strengthened to require employers to take all reasonable steps. What this means in practice will depend on the size and resources of the business, alongside the risks faced by its employees.

Harassment by third parties

Employers can now also be held liable for harassment of staff by third parties, including customers, guests and suppliers, unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.

This covers sexual harassment and harassment related to relevant protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including race, disability, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

These changes are particularly relevant to hospitality, where staff regularly interact with members of the public, including in late-night settings and environments involving alcohol.

What should employers do?

Employers should review their existing policies, risk assessments and staff training to ensure they reflect the new requirements.

This should include considering where harassment might occur, how staff can report incidents and what action managers should take when concerns are raised.

The steps required will vary between businesses, but employers should be able to demonstrate that they have considered the risks and taken appropriate action to prevent harassment.

Guidance and resources

EHRC and Acas guidance

The EHRC and Acas have published updated guidance to help employers understand their responsibilities:

EHRC technical guidance on sexual harassment and harassment at work EHRC eight-step guide to preventing sexual harassment Acas guidance on harassment law changes

Hospitality-specific resources

UKHospitality previously worked with the EHRC to develop a hospitality-specific checklist and action plan, covering steps businesses can take to prevent sexual harassment before, during and after shifts.

We are currently working with the EHRC to update these resources to reflect the October 2026 changes, including additional examples covering restaurants, hotels and late-night venues. We will share the updated resources once available.

EHRC hospitality checklist and action plan – produced before the October 2026 changes. Moore Kingston Smith risk assessment guide and action plan – independently produced resources to help employers identify risks and review their existing arrangements. UKHospitality webinar with the EHRC and Acas – a previous session covering the introduction of the preventative duty in October 2024.

UKHospitality's work with the EHRC

UKHospitality has provided feedback on the EHRC’s updated technical guidance to ensure hospitality-specific issues and examples are covered.

We are continuing to work with the EHRC on its updated hospitality checklist and action plan and will share further information with members as this work progresses.

For further information, please contact Luke Cheadle, Policy and Public Affairs Manager.