Lidl signs legal agreement with equality regulator to prevent sexual harassment
Lidl GB has signed a legal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
The news comes after an employment tribunal found that the supermarket had failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of a young female employee by a staff member between 2019 and 2021.
In its judgment, the employment tribunal found that managers at the Lidl store where the claimant worked were unaware of the company’s anti-harassment policy. Furthermore, no risk assessments had been carried out, and Lidl GB had relied on employees to raise complaints before taking any action.
Lidl has implemented measures to strengthen protections for its staff in response to the judgment. This has included delivering additional training to the managers concerned and introducing further bullying and harassment training for wider roll out across the business. Some further action was taken in consultation with the EHRC, such as completing a sexual harassment risk assessment.
The legal agreement builds upon the measures already implemented and outlines the additional steps that Lidl has committed to undertake.
Subscribe to TRBBaroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “Every employer has a legal duty to prevent sexual harassment and they must be able to prove they’ve taken reasonable steps to do so.
“We welcome the improvements Lidl GB has already made since an employment tribunal ruled against them, and their willingness to take the further steps we have recommended. By signing this legal agreement, Lidl GB has committed to carrying out this work based on our expert advice.
“Sexual harassment is never acceptable in the workplace. All employers should take note of what the law requires of them under the preventative duty. We will continue to use our unique powers as Britain’s equality regulator to ensure everyone can work without fear of sexual harassment.”
