The Work Couch: Preventing sexual harassment: What does "all reasonable steps" mean for consumer brands and retailers? With Joanna Holford and Chris Shearer-Wright

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

As employers prepare for major workplace harassment reforms, which come into force on 30 October, we discuss what these changes mean for the consumer brand and retail sector, where the risks can be especially complex.

Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Joanna Holford, Senior Associate in RPC's Employment, Engagement and Equality team, and Chris Shearer-Wright, Senior EDI and Community Partnerships Manager at Oliver Bonas, to explore how consumer brand and retail employers can embed effective preventative measures.

Together, they share their insights on:

• the shift to "all reasonable steps" and moving beyond one-off policies and generic training to an embedded prevention programme;
• why third-party harassment is the operational flashpoint in the consumer brands and retail sector;
• using risk assessments to identify hotspots and design proportionate controls;
• the importance of line manager capability and accessible reporting channels; and
• the impact of other related changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025, for example whistleblowing classification and limits on NDAs.

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All information is correct at the time of recording. The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

1. Employment Rights Act 2025

2. British Retail Consortium (BRC) Retail Crime Survey 2025

3. BRC Diversity & Inclusion Charter

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