Sexual harassment in low-paid and insecure work

Written on 15 June 2022.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, FLEX launched a new report titled Tackling sexual harassment in low-paid and insecure work. It focuses on the need for better enforcement of sexual harassment protections in low-paid and insecure work, and it includes primary research and case studies collected by FLEX in the cleaning, hospitality, and app-based delivery sectors, with input from other key organisations in this space.

There is currently a significant enforcement gap when it comes to workplace sexual harassment in the UK with no public body with the remit, power, and resources to effectively protect workers from sexual harassment and ensure employers are complying with their legal duties. It is thus left up to individuals to protect themselves and enforce their own rights. This is a particular problem for workers in low-paid and insecure work, often women from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds, who are already more vulnerable to harassment and abuse and additionally face greater barriers to reporting it. 

This publication is particularly timely considering that the UK government has recently announced it will be ratifying the ILO C190 Convention on Violence and Harassment, which will mean that the UK will have to ensure that labour inspectorates are empowered to deal with workplace violence and harassment. FLEX hopes that in light of this, the UK Government and policymakers will take heed of the findings and recommendations set out in our paper.