As a new working year begins, 2025 sees a new beginning for how sexual harassment is handled in the workplace, a huge development for so many survivors and victims – as well as those who may feel unsafe at work.

As part of a new duty under the 2010 Equality Act, employers will be required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent the sexual harassment of their employees. This comes with new guidance on how to protect staff from this abuse, and a requirement to encourage cultural change through both preventative measures and effective action to stop harassment that does occur from happening again.

But despite the positivity and progress that such legislation indicates, we are still fighting against cultural norms that normalise such behaviour and abuse. A 2023 poll found that 2 in 3 young women reported that they had experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work.

Also, we kicked off 2025 with Donald Trump being inaugurated as the President of the United States once again, a man who has received allegations of sexual misconduct that date from dozens of women that date back to the 1970s onwards. In recent months we’ve also seen Masterchef presenter Greg Wallace accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct, as well as director Justin Baldoni being accused by actor Blake Lively of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film It Ends With Us.

With this kind of abuse so deeply permeated into our culture, how can we fight it effectively in the workplace and ensure that the legislation that has been fought for so hard actually works?

According to violence against women and girls (VAWG) activist Sharon Gaffka, combatting this normalisation of sexual harassment requires “a collective effort to challenge attitudes that excuse or minimise harmful behaviour”.

“Outside the workplace, it involves education from a young age, public conversations about consent – including peers challenging each other's behaviour to tackle bystander behaviour – and media representation that rejects outdated gender norms,” she adds.

Trump’s re-election in the face of multiple allegations, she says, reminds us how deeply ingrained these attitudes truly are, and how urgently we need to fight for change. “It signals that allegations of this kind, especially against powerful men, are often dismissed or overshadowed by other factors,” she says. “It reflects a culture that still prioritises power over accountability and views the experiences of survivors as secondary to political or economic interests.” Workplace norms must shift this year, in terms of stigma around reporting, doing more than just “preventative” policy and ensuring such policies are implemented effectively.

It’s so important not to assume that all the work is finished by a shift in the law when it comes to an issue as pervasive as sexual harassment. The policies and legislation that we begin 2025 with need to be a starting point, not the definitive plan, for combating sexual harassment in the workplace. Sharon suggests that employers must begin with focusing on the environment they foster, ensuring it takes “a firm stance on zero tolerance” and must recognise certain power dynamics at play and work to level them so that all employees feel protected.

“Empathy and education are critical,” she says.“Companies need to move away from the idea that policies alone solve the problem. True change happens when employees and leaders alike understand the human impact of harassment and are committed to preventing it.”

Preventative action against sexual harassment in the workplace is central to the new UK legislation, and is key in shifting how such behaviour is dealt with by employers. “These policies need to be clear, actionable, and enforceable,” Sharon advises. “Every workplace should have a detailed policy that defines what constitutes harassment, outlines reporting procedures, and specifies the consequences for offenders.”

But she insists that preventative policies should only act as a starting point, alongside a much larger cultural shift as well as “ongoing education and training for all employees and leadership”. Sharon adds that workplaces must remain proactive by regularly reviewing and updating their policies to reflect new challenges, such as the rise of online harassment.

Another element of handling this cultural shift in the workplace entails ensuring that reporting such behaviour is treated with the appropriate attitude and actions. Sharon advises that those who come forward must be protected from retaliation, and be treated with seriousness, sensitivity and impartiality – and this begins with providing “safe and confidential reporting channels”.“Investigations need to be thorough, transparent, and handled by trained professionals to maintain fairness,” she adds.

As the new legislation is implemented more and more effectively in workplaces throughout 2025, training is integral to its success. Employees and employers must be educated on how to handle complaints with compassion, as well as clear definitions of subtle and overt forms of harassment and its impact as well as human and organisational costs. All must also be trained on the importance of a culture of accountability and strategies for bystander intervention – i.e how to help effectively in a situation if you see harassment happening. Sharon insists on the importance of all training being “comprehensive, practical and ongoing”.

“It’s crucial that this training isn’t treated as a one-off event or box-ticking exercise. It should evolve with the times, incorporating real-world examples and addressing new forms of harassment, like cyberbullying and deepfake-related abuse.”

Of course, the implementation of this legislation is important, but so is ensuring that its impact has lasting effects. Above all, employers must constantly be thinking about how it can be enforced most effectively and maintaining accountability. Sharon recommends “regular audits, anonymous employee surveys, and public reporting on compliance can help keep workplaces on track”.

“Ensuring transparency and accountability in how policies are applied is critical for building trust,” she says, adding that government bodies or independent organisations should be overseeing implementation, in order to hold workplaces accountable. And of course, the consequences for non compliance should be made clear: fines, reputational damage or other measures. “This ensures that the legislation doesn’t become a symbolic gesture but a real driver of change,” Sharon explains.

It’s also worth acknowledging that while sexual harassment is deeply embedded in our culture, individuals value feeling safe in their workplace and it could be argued that businesses will retain more employees in environments that are facing these issues head on.

“A workplace that tolerates or overlooks harassment sends a clear signal that safety and well-being are not priorities,” Sharon explains. “This erodes trust, damages morale, and fosters a toxic culture that stifles innovation and collaboration. Over time, such an environment undermines the company’s reputation and profitability. In contrast, businesses thrive when employees feel respected, safe, and valued - harassment fundamentally disrupts this essential foundation.

So as a man who stands accused of sexual harassment on multiple accounts is sworn in as one of the most powerful people in the world, and accusations of such abuse fly across the entertainment industry, holding fast on fighting back against such treatment in the workplace and across society has never been more important. For Sharon, this shift must begin, but by no means end, with education.

“Consent and respect should be taught as fundamental values from a young age, alongside lessons on recognising and challenging harmful behaviours,” she says, adding that certain industries have a lot to answer for, as do our current legal structures. 

“Media and entertainment industries must stop glorifying or trivialising harassment and instead use their platforms to promote healthier attitudes. Legal systems also need reform to make reporting easier and ensure survivors are treated with dignity and respect.”

According to Sharon, normalisation of sexual harassment – particularly when powerful men are not held to account or aren’t appropriately punished for their actions – thrives in silence. “We must be louder in our refusal to accept it,” she says. “It’s about showing that accountability doesn’t depend on status, power or popularity.” 

So, while legislation around sexual harassment in UK workplaces is a welcome step forward, wider work around stigma and cultural norms is needed to ensure that their implementation is long lasting. 

“Ultimately, combating harassment requires a collective commitment to challenging the status quo, supporting survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable, regardless of who they are,” Sharon says. “This isn’t just a women’s issue – it’s a societal issue, and it demands action from everyone.”