Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to ensure that workers are (1) protected from sexual harassment, and (2) able to travel between work and home safely, particularly those working non-standard hours.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ensures workers are protected from work-related violence and harm within the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. For sexual harassment, existing protections under the Equality Act 2010, enforced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), provide a robust framework. HSE complements these protections by promoting safe working environments and referring cases to the appropriate regulatory bodies. With the updated legal duties to the Equality Act 2010 in October 2024, employers have enhanced responsibilities to prevent sexual harassment, reinforcing the comprehensive framework already in place.

Travel between work and home is not a work activity so outside of HSE’s remit. Protection from sexual harassment during such journeys is the responsibility of others including the police.