The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023[1] (c. 51) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.[2] It was passed on 20 October 2023 and received royal assent on 26 October 2023.[3] It was introduced as a private members' bill by Wera Hobhouse and Baroness Burt of Solihull. The aim of the act is to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and drive a culture change. It was supported both in the House of Commons and the House of Lords by the Conservative Government, and was in the series of new employment law reforms of the 2022-23 session.
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision in relation to the duties of employers and the protection of workers under the Equality Act 2010. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2023 c. 51 |
| Introduced by | Wera Hobhouse (Commons) The Baroness Burt of Solihull (Lords) |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 26 October 2023 |
| Commencement | 26 October 2024 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Equality Act 2010 |
Status: Not yet in force | |
| History of passage through Parliament | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
Parliamentary passage
editThe act was introduced to the House of Commons on 15 June 2022 by Wera Hobhouse and passed third reading in the Commons unopposed on 3 February 2023. The act was then introduced by Baroness Burt of Solihull to the House of Lords on 6 February 2023.
The act however faced significant opposition to its provisions by several Lords, which resulted in original clause 1 being removed from the bill for the act and the threshold for sexual harassment protections being lowered, both in committee.[4] The opposition of the Lords were eventually conceded to by the government and the act's sponsors, Hobhouse and Burt, which the Commons agreed with the Lords in their amendments on 20 October 2023.[5][6]
The act received royal assent on 26 October 2023.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023".
- ^ "Parliamentary Bills".
- ^ "The Worker Protection Bill will become law". The Fawcett Society. 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
- ^ "Lords Hansard".
- ^ "Measures to tackle workplace harassment to be watered down after compromise". The Independent. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Wera Hobhouse passes new law to protect people from workplace harassment". www.libdems.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
- ^ Jardine, Christine (18 September 2023). "New law will force employers to act over workplace harassment – Christine Jardine". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 April 2024.