Following a change in the law earlier this week, Wiltshire businesses are being encouraged to create a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.

Workplace expert Acas has made the call after the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 came into effect on Saturday, October 26.

This new law introduces a legal duty for employers to proactively take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

Acas recommends creating a culture where sexual harassment is understood to be unacceptable.

This includes developing a policy on sexual harassment, training managers on their responsibilities, and creating a safe environment for reporting incidents.

According to a recent Acas survey, 14 per cent of employers and six per cent of employees said they had witnessed sexual harassment in their workplace.

Acas' head of inclusive workplaces, Julie Dennis, said: "Sexual harassment is unacceptable at work or anywhere else.

"We want everyone to understand this, and we are urging employers to take a proactive approach to stamping it out."

Under the new law, employers must not wait until something has happened before they take action.

They need to consider the risks of sexual harassment in their organisation, the steps they could take to reduce these risks, and which of those steps are reasonable for them to take.