British lawmakers yesterday called for tougher laws to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, including fines, saying the problem was endemic and not taken seriously enough.
A parliamentary committee called on the government to make it mandatory for employers to prevent harassment, with a code of practice detailing steps for companies to take, including to investigate all complaints and to support victims.
“It is utterly shameful that in 2018, unwanted sexual comments, touching, groping and assault are seen as an everyday occurrence and part of the culture in many workplaces,” Women and Equalities Committee chairwoman Maria Miller said.
The report was the result of an inquiry launched in February as countless stories of misconduct emerged worldwide amid the #MeToo campaign sparked by allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
In Britain, 40 percent of women and 18 percent of men were sexually harassed in the workplace last year, from catcalls to sexual assault, polling firm ComRes found.
Requirements should be stringent and breaches should carry substantial financial penalties, as is the case when it comes to preventing money-laundering and protecting personal data, the cross-party committee said.
“It’s time to put the same emphasis on tackling sexual harassment,” Miller said in a statement.
British women’s rights group the Fawcett Society praised the proposed legal reforms.
“We have to move from treating this issue as a problem for the individual woman to deal with, to one that the organization owns,” Fawcett Society head Sam Smethers said.
Protection should be extended to interns, volunteers and workers who are harassed by clients, customers and contractors, the report added.
The committee also urged the government to regulate non-disclosure agreements, which could be used to silence victims, and to make it easier for employees to seek legal action.
“Employees who have a strong case against their employer must not be priced out of justice,” the report said.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), an employers’ group, welcomed the recommendations.
“Firms understand they have a duty of care and are actively building inclusive workplaces where everyone feels safe, supported and able to challenge unacceptable behavior,” CBI UK policy director Matthew Fell said in a statement.
A ship that appears to be taking on the identity of a scrapped gas carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, showing how strategies to get through the waterway are evolving as the Middle East war progresses. The vessel identifying as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Jamal left the Strait on Friday morning, ship-tracking data show. However, the same tanker was also recorded as having beached at an Indian demolition yard in October last year, where it is being broken up, according to market participants and port agent’s reports. The ship claiming to be Jamal is likely a zombie vessel that
Cannabis-based medicines have shown little evidence of effectiveness for treating most mental health and substance-use disorders, according to a large review of past studies published in a major medical journal on Monday. Medical use of cannabinoids has been expanding, including in the US, Canada and Australia, where many patients report using cannabis products to manage conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep problems. Researchers reviewed data from 54 randomized clinical trials conducted between 1980 and May last year involving 2,477 participants for their analysis published in The Lancet. The studies assessed cannabinoids as a primary treatment for mental disorders or substance-use
NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT: US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island’s already antiquated grid Cuba’s national electric grid collapsed on Monday, the nation’s grid operator said, leaving about 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the already obsolete generation system. Grid operator UNE on social media said that it is investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days and that this weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run nation. Officials ruled out a major power plant failure, but had still not pinpointed the root cause of the grid collapse, suggesting a problem with transmission. Officials said that
CONSERVING FUEL: State institutions are to operate only four days a week starting tomorrow, with the measures also applying to schools and universities Sri Lanka on Monday announced a shorter working week to conserve its scarce fuel reserves as it prepares for a prolonged war in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about 20 percent of global exports pass in peacetime, has been effectively closed by Iran in retaliation over the US and Israeli war against it, now in its third week. Sri Lankan Commissioner-General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi said state institutions would operate only four days a week starting tomorrow. The new austerity measures would also apply to schools and universities, and would remain in place indefinitely. “We are
RSS