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B&B and guest house harassment duty

Since 26 Oct 2024 employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. From 30 October 2026 the requirement becomes all reasonable steps, and employers must not permit harassment by third parties (Employment Rights Act 2025 s20/s21). In a B&B or guest house the risks often include a guest alone with a housekeeper, late check-ins, and staff working on their own.

A short written policy should say that sexual harassment is not accepted, that this includes guests, how a member of staff can report a concern, and what the owner will do next. Place a copy in the induction pack. Brief the people who cover shifts so they know how to respond if a guest crosses a line and how to get a colleague out of a room.

Write down the risks that are real in your building. A guest alone with a housekeeper, or staff sharing a group chat are common points. The Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance says the preventative duty includes members of the public. From 30 October 2026 an employer can be liable for harassment by a third party unless all reasonable steps were taken.

The plain-English guide on this site walks through the duty and the five practical steps for a small site. The worked example shows how the same points can look on a checklist. Both pages link the official sources on legislation.gov.uk and equalityhumanrights.com.

The Harassment Duty Kit contains an editable policy, a risk assessment, door and bar scripts, and incident and briefing logs. A single site licence is £79. Groups of up to three sites can take the £159 licence. All files are Word, PDF and Excel. 30-day no-quibble refund: reply to your receipt. The paperwork is for England and Wales only and is not legal advice.

Read the guide: the harassment duty in 2026. See the worked example: harassment-duty checklist for a 40-cover pub. View the kit on the product page.