Government department lead

HSE and BERR (previously known as DTI) have an interest.

Latest developments

The agreement on violence and harassment in the workplace has been approved by all cross-sectoral social partner organisations and was officially signed on 26 April 2007. This agreement must be implemented within three years of this date.

Background

On 15 December 2006, European social partners agreed a framework for dealing with violence and harassment in the workplace.
The aim of the agreement is to:

• increase the awareness and understanding of employees, workers and their representatives of workplace harassment and violence; and
• provide employers, workers and their representatives at all levels with an action-oriented framework to identify, prevent and manage problems of harassment and violence at work.

The main requirements it will place on employers are:

• to publish a statement that makes it clear that violence and harassment in the workplace will not be accepted;
• to specify in that statement procedures to be followed where cases arise; and
• to ensure procedures are underpinned by a short checklist of simple principles included in the social partners agreement.

In many cases, employers in the UK already have procedures and policies for dealing with interpersonal problems at work, including violence and harassment. In such cases, there may be no need to alter or supplement existing arrangements as stated in the agreement itself.

Next steps

Discussions between UK social partner groups are being held under the auspices of BERR, to decide how the agreement will be implemented. Early drafting work has begun and wider consultation will follow.