SECURiTY PARTNERSHiP UPDATE: S
International Women’s Day - a route to lasting change
Howden Champions Workplace Safety on International Women’s Day
This International Women's Day, Howden is encouraging businesses to
#AccelerateAction by prioritising social safety at work, creating environments where women feel respected, supported and empowered to thrive.
As 53% of women have experienced workplace sexual harassment and the impact of domestic abuse is widespread, Howden is urging businesses to act. Cheryl Brennan, Managing Director, Howden Employee Benefits, states, “Employers have a responsibility to make safety central to their company culture. This extends far beyond policies – comprehensive training and education at all levels is essential to ensure women feel safe, supported and confident in accessing help when needed.
Managers, colleagues and bystanders should be empowered to recognise signs of abuse and understand the crucial role they play in creating a safe workplace. Just as businesses have embraced menopause support, we must do the same for preventing harassment and supporting those affected by domestic abuse.”
Cheryl recommends key actions employers can take:
1. Make safety and inclusion a core part of company culture
2. Promote and communicate internal and external support services. For example, in London, initiatives like Safe Havens, safe walking routes, and taxi marshalling can make the difference between a safe journey home after a work event or not – but only if employees are aware of these services and can access them when they need them most
upporters of the Our Safer City initiative give their views on how International Women’s Day events can support lasting change to prevent sexual harassment.
on all UK employers of any size and sector to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of their staff, starting with education.
3. Provide anonymous platforms and dedicated HR contacts for employees to report concerns
4. Support employees beyond the workplace, recognising that domestic abuse impacts performance
5. Train managers to recognise signs of abuse or harassment and offer appropriate support
6. Join the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) to collaborate with other organisations and share best practice.
By creating safer workplaces, businesses foster stronger, more inclusive teams where everyone can succeed.
Howden Employee Benefits is a proud supporter of the Our Safer City initiative, having hosted the “Our Safer City – Partnership to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls” event at its City of London offices last September.
Beyond the bandwagon: How employers can create lasting, meaningful change in preventing sexual harassment under the new law
In recent years, International Women’s Day (and, to a lesser extent, Men’s Day) has become an annual corporate spectacle, where employers scramble to showcase their commitment to gender equality. It’s a flurry of LinkedIn hashtags and company- wide emails, all designed to reinforce an image of progressiveness. Yet, once the day passes, the momentum often fades, until March rolls around again.
Amongst the noise, however, there are employers who are truly committed to taking meaningful and lasting action, who want to embed inclusivity within their internal cultures, and create safer environments.
As of 26 October 2024, The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (“the Act”) placed a duty
© CITY SECURITY MAGAZINE – SPRING 2025
www.citysecuritymagazine.com
While a landmark step forward for safer workplaces and – by consequence – communities, the relative lack of fanfare ahead of the law coming into effect left many employers confused about where to start. With the prospect of uplifts of 25% in compensation at Employment Tribunals as well as additional fines and enforcement action by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC), employers’ concerns are not entirely unfounded.
Employers should view their duty to educate staff under the Act in the same vein as legal requirements to deliver training in specialist areas such as anti- money laundering, bribery and corruption, handling hazardous substances, or operating heavy machinery.
Sexual harassment prevention is a specialist subject. Sexual harassment is a serious offence, the consequences of which can have lasting impacts not only on victims and witnesses, but on the reputation of a business, its ability to recruit and retain staff, and the safety and wellbeing of its workforce. This is, after all, the reason that the Act has been introduced.
It is crucial to get this training right. As the foundation for complying with the new law, the quality of training delivered can significantly impact an organisation’s ability to create meaningful change. It sets the tone for future efforts, determining whether an organisation will successfully embed a culture of respect and accountability or fall short of expectations. Now is the time for employers to step off the bandwagon, go beyond the tick-box, and take responsibility for keeping their staff, and themselves, safer.
By Transformative Culture Consultancy Directors, and Sexual Harassment Prevention Specialists, Poppy Murray and Brooke Jarvis (who will be delivering CPD- certified workplace sexual harassment prevention training on behalf of Our Safer City over the following year)
Find out more at
www.tcconsultancy.uk
>
18
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
