Sexual harassment added to whistleblowing legislation

Implementation date: Not expected before 2026

The Employment Rights Bill includes provisions to add sexual harassment to the list of types of disclosure that qualify for protection under the whistleblowing provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

The Government has said that it aims to provide clarity by making it explicit that sexual harassment can be the basis for a protected disclosure.

It is not known when this measure will come into force. In its Next Steps to Make Work Pay policy paper, the Government said it expects to begin consulting in 2025 on the various measures covered in the Bill and that it anticipates that "the majority of reforms will take effect no earlier than 2026".