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Sexual harassment policy for pubs

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). For a pub this covers bar staff, floor staff and kitchen staff, and it covers customers as well as colleagues.

A short written policy is one practical step. It should say that sexual harassment is not accepted, that this includes customers, how a member of staff can report a concern, and what the owner or manager will do next. Place a copy where people will see it during induction, not only in a folder that stays closed.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance says a policy on its own is not enough. You also need to look at the risks in your own building: late bar shifts, the kitchen pass, a lock-in, a staff party, phones and group chats, or someone working the close on their own. Note those risks in writing. Then brief the people who run shifts so they know what to say if a customer crosses a line and how to get a colleague off the floor.

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 for a 40-cover pub. 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.