The Equality and Human Rights Commission highlights certain working arrangements that may increase the likelihood of sexual harassment. These arrangements include lone working and working in an environment where alcohol is available.
Lone working
The University's Guidance on Lone Working does not prohibit lone working but highlights that such working arrangements can introduce and/or accentuate hazards, including the behaviour of others. The guidance also covers staff lone working from their home as part of agreed hybrid working arrangements. Staff should ensure their line manager and colleagues are aware of their working location on a day to day basis. Additionally, staff working this way should not normally meet others in person in their home in connection with work but should organise for this to take place on University premises or in a suitable public space. For further information about lone working under hybrid working arrangements, please refer to the University’s Hybrid Working Policy and the supporting guidance.
In line with the Guidance on Lone Working, Heads of Department and managers should ensure that, where any lone working situations are identified, they undertake risk assessments and introduce effective control measures to include:
- putting arrangements in place so that they or the relevant line manager is aware of the worker's whereabouts;
- establishing who workers should contact in case of confrontations, aggressive behaviour, and/or sexual harassment;
- providing the worker with adequate information, instructions and training to understand the hazards and risks, and the safe working procedures associated with this; and
- setting out the steps that will be followed for investigating incidents, reducing the likelihood of future occurrences and providing post-incident support if needed.
Working with alcohol
The steps set out above should also be used for any staff working in environments where alcohol is available as part of the working arrangements (for example, bar staff or events-based roles). UKHospitality and the Equality Human Rights Commission also have a checklist, action plan and monitoring log template to help managers take action to protect workers from sexual harassment. The checklist focusses on the working environment, working practices and communicating with teams and suggests ways in which they may be improved to better prevent sexual harassment.