This meeting was scheduled to include a discussion of a new draft Sexual Harassment Policy.

Sexual Harassment Policy

The meeting was scheduled to include consideration of a report on a new draft Sexual Harassment Policy.

The report explained that the reason for the new policy was to ensure that the council is complying with its new duties under the Equality Act 2010, which came into force on 26 October 2024. The report explained that the new policy followed legal advice, and that training would be provided to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities.

The report recommended that the committee approve the draft policy.

The draft policy set out what the council considers to be sexual harassment:

Sexual harassment is any unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

The policy also explained how staff can raise complaints, and set out how the council would handle those complaints. The draft policy made clear that staff would not be penalised for raising genuine complaints:

Anyone who raises an allegation of sexual harassment with us in good faith will not be subjected to any detriment as a result.

The policy also stated that the council would take disciplinary action against any member of staff found to have sexually harassed a colleague.