Prevention of Sexual Harassment Risk Assessment Form
Since October 2024, employers have had to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment. Where an employment tribunal upholds a sexual harassment claim against an employer and orders it to pay compensation, the tribunal must consider whether the employer has also breached its duty to prevent sexual harassment and, if it has, may increase the compensation by up to 25%. From 30 October 2026, following the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees in the course of their employment, and are also liable for harassment (as defined in the Equality Act 2010, so not only sexual harassment) of their employees by third parties, such as customers or clients, in the course of their employment unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.
As part of taking these steps, employers should take actions to assess the risk of sexual harassment and put measures in place. This Prevention of Sexual Harassment Risk Assessment Form should be used to assess the risk of sexual harassment and identify reasonable steps to take to prevent it.
The risk assessment should be geared towards the Company’s specific needs, taking account of matters such as:
- The size of the Company
- Diverse ways of working e.g. night working, lone working
- The kind of work conducted by the Company
- The Company’s culture
- Whether sexual harassment has happened before
- The risks of sexual harassment
- The extent of contact with third parties.
Risk mitigation strategies will include:
- Clear and comprehensive policies that are communicated to employees
- Regular training on what constitutes sexual harassment including information on how to report incidents
- Establishing clear procedures for handling complaints
- Regular monitoring of policies and procedures to ensure continued effectiveness.
Use this form with our Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy, Prevention of Third-Party Harassment Policy and Sexual Harassment Prevention Checklist.
Prevention of Sexual Harassment Risk Assessment Form is part of Employment. Just £42.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Employment for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Look at the situations where harassment is more likely in your organisation: lone or night working, customer-facing roles, travel and overnight stays, work social events where alcohol is served, power imbalances between staff and any past complaints. Then record the steps you will take to reduce each risk, who is responsible and when you will check them. The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Risk Assessment Form follows this approach.
Yes. From 30 October 2026, an employer is liable if a third party, such as a customer, client or visitor, harasses an employee at work and the employer did not take all reasonable steps to prevent it. Your risk assessment should therefore cover the contact your staff have with third parties and the steps you will take to protect them.
The law does not say who must do it. It is usually led by a senior manager or HR, with input from staff, because they often know where the risks are. The Equality and Human Rights Commission encourages employers to involve their workforce, for example through anonymous surveys or staff representatives. Senior leaders should own the result.
Review it regularly and whenever something changes, such as a new site, new working patterns, a work event, a complaint or a change in the law. The duty to prevent sexual harassment is strengthened on 30 October 2026, so check your assessment against it if you have not already done so. Record each review, the risks you found and the steps you took.
The law does not say it must be written down, but a written risk assessment is the clearest evidence that you assessed the risks and acted on them if a claim is ever made. The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Risk Assessment Form gives you a structured record of the risks, the steps you will take and when you will review them.