Employment: Bullying

(asked on 9th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to incorporate clauses to end bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at work in the forthcoming Employment Bill.


Answered by
Lord Callanan Portrait
Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This question was answered on 20th March 2020

The Government is clear that bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct is unacceptable and is concerned by evidence that confidentiality agreements are being used to intimidate victims of harassment into silence. We consulted on the misuse of confidentiality clauses between workers and their employers in 2019 and in response, have committed to:

  • Legislating to ensure that a workplace confidentiality clause cannot prevent an individual disclosing to the police, regulated health and care professionals or legal professionals;
  • Legislating so that the limitations of a confidentiality clause are clear to those signing them;
  • Legislating to improve independent legal advice available to an individual;

This legislation will be brought forward in due course.

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