View source for Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023

{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to make provision in relation to the duties of employers and the protection of workers under the Equality Act 2010.
| year                  = 2023
| citation              = [[List of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 2023|2023]] c. 51
| introduced_commons    = [[Wera Hobhouse]]
| introduced_lords      = [[Lorely Burt|The Baroness Burt of Solihull]]
| territorial_extent    =
| royal_assent          = 26 October 2023
| commencement          = 26 October 2024
| expiry_date           =
| repeal_date           =
| amends                = [[Equality Act 2010]]
| replaces              =
| amendments            =
| repealing_legislation =
| related_legislation   =
| status                = Not_yet_in_force
| legislation_history   = https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3205
| theyworkforyou        =
| millbankhansard       =
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/51/contents/enacted
| revised_text          =
| use_new_UK-LEG        = yes
| UK-LEG_title          =
| collapsed             =
}}
The '''Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/51/contents/enacted}}</ref> (c. 51) is an [[Act of Parliament (UK)|act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary Bills |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3205}}</ref> It was passed on 20 October 2023 and received royal assent on 26 October 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-20 |title=The Worker Protection Bill will become law |url=https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/news/the-worker-protection-bill-will-become-law |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=The Fawcett Society |language=en}}</ref> It was introduced as a private members' bill by [[Wera Hobhouse]] and [[Lorely Burt|Baroness Burt of Solihull]]. The aim of the act is to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and drive a culture change. It was supported both in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] and the [[House of Lords]] by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Government of the United Kingdom|Government]], and was in the series of new employment law reforms of the 2022-23 session.
== Parliamentary passage ==
The act was introduced to the House of Commons on 15 June 2022 by Wera Hobhouse and passed third reading in the Commons unopposed on 3 February 2023. The act was then introduced by Baroness Burt of Solihull to the House of Lords on 6 February 2023.
The act however faced significant opposition to its provisions by several Lords, which resulted in original clause 1 being removed from the bill for the act and the threshold for sexual harassment protections being lowered, both in committee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lords Hansard |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2023-07-14/debates/998525BF-F99B-47A3-84E9-B7D4FB1FDF10/WorkerProtection(AmendmentOfEqualityAct2010)Bill}}</ref> The opposition of the Lords were eventually conceded to by the government and the act's sponsors, Hobhouse and Burt, which the Commons agreed with the Lords in their amendments on 20 October 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-14 |title=Measures to tackle workplace harassment to be watered down after compromise |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/conservative-government-house-of-lords-house-of-commons-liberal-democrat-b2375477.html |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wera Hobhouse passes new law to protect people from workplace harassment |url=https://www.libdems.org.uk/news/article/wera-hobhouse-passes-new-law-to-protect-people-from-workplace-harassment |access-date=2023-10-22 |website=www.libdems.org.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref>
The act received royal assent on 26 October 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jardine |first=Christine |date=18 September 2023 |title=New law will force employers to act over workplace harassment – Christine Jardine |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/workplace-harassment-bill-will-force-employers-to-ensure-action-is-taken-against-offensive-unacceptable-behaviour-christine-jardine-4338202 |access-date=16 April 2024 |website=The Scotsman}}</ref>
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2023]]
[[Category:United Kingdom labour law]]
[[Category:2023 in labor relations]]