New Sexual Harassment Laws - Retail
UK sexual harassment laws are changing on 30th October 2026: Is your retail venue ready?
Retail is a customer-facing business. Staff spend shifts in close, constant contact with the public, serving, advising and resolving complaints with little control over who walks through the door or how they behave.
From the 30th October 2026, that everyday reality highlights retail as one of the sectors that will feel the most impact from one of the most significant reforms to UK employment law in recent years.
Under the new changes, employers will have to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace; this is a deliberate, noticeable step up from the current wording of “reasonable steps”.
In addition, employers could face increased compensation for harassment of their staff by third parties.
Employers will have to demonstrate proactive, comprehensive and ongoing prevention methods, rather than relying on reactive responses after an incident. Alongside this, liabilities to protect employees will increase. So, from the tills to changing rooms, how will this impact retail groups?
Why retail carries risk
There’s three standout factors which make this new duty more difficult for retailers in comparison to other sectors:
• Constant, unscreened contact: retail staff cannot simply avoid difficult members of the public. Every shift brings fresh interactions outside of the employer’s contact, and as these new reforms sharpen obligations, this drives directly into the heart of day-to-day operations.
• A young and often junior workforce: For many, retail is their first job. This not only means inexperienced staff may not recognise inappropriate behaviour straight away, but if employees are under 18, extra steps will need to be taken to prevent interactions which could result in harassment.
• A high turnover of staff: Retail jobs are often short term, part-time or seasonal, meaning new faces all the time. This requires training and awareness to be constantly repeated, rather than delivered once to a stable team.
Factor in lone working on quiet shifts, late-night trading and store layouts with limited oversight, and it’s easy to see why retail carries extra risk.
Getting ahead: Putting these changes into practice
The updated guidance isn’t expected until after the change comes into action, so currently retailers are preparing for a standard that’s not yet fully defined. But that uncertainty gives even more reasons to get ahead early. This will likely involve:
• Policies: made up to date, actively communicated and easy to find for all staff
• Training: meaningful, regular training and specific sessions for management and staff
• Risk assessment: identify environmental, cultural and operational risk factors, and make a plan to minimise these risks
• Reporting channels: employees must know how to report incidents, and feel comfortable doing so
• Leadership accountability: managers must be equipped to respond swiftly, appropriately and consistently
• Culture building: a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment to be embedded company wide and clearly communicate expected behaviours.
Risk is not limited to just the shop floor
The implications of these changes reach further than the checkout. Delivery drivers, click-and-collect staff, online customer service teams, and anyone in a customer-facing role are exposed to the same dynamic: regular contact with the public, and limited control over these interactions. This applies to employees in hospitality, financial and professional services and beyond.
Given how fast the landscape is changing, and the uncertainty around specific wording, retailers are recommended to take specific employment law advice.
And, you can always seek professional guidance from our employment law team here or call us on 0114 266 6660.
