Proposed by Councillor Smith, seconded by Councillor Pressel

Labour member motion

Sexual Harassment at work is a problem in every kind of workplace from Hollywood Movie Studios to places a lot closer to home.  A 2016 report by the TUC in association with the everyday sexism project found that more than half (fifty two per cent) of all women polled have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work and four out of five women did not report the sexual harassment to their employer.

Just because sexual harassment in the workplace has proven to be a tough nut to crack, it does not mean it is an intractable problem. Action by employers, backed up by stronger legal protections for workers, better access to justice, and strong unions, are all part of the solution.

The TUC report 'Still just a bit of banter?' makes the following recommendations for employers, and as an employer we commit to following these principles when it comes to our own workforce. We also ask officers to devise procedures for encouraging our partners and contractors to abide by this best practice.

Decent jobs

Given the particular vulnerability of workers on casualised contracts, employers should aim to employ staff on permanent, secure contracts which offer decent hours and decent pay (ideally the Oxford Living Wage). Temporary contracts, zero-hours contracts, casual contracts and agency workers, should only be used by employers to respond to genuine peaks and troughs in demand or to match short-term skill needs.

Training

HR and all levels of management should receive training on sexual harassment, what constitutes sexual harassment, stalking and online harassment, relevant law and workplace policies, and how to respond to complaints of sexual harassment.

Clear policies

Employers should have a clear zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment. Use of social media and workplace equipment should be taken into consideration when formulating policies on sexual harassment. All employees should be made aware of these policies, reporting procedures and their rights and responsibilities regarding workplace sexual harassment. Where there is a recognised union, seeking input from union reps into the development of a sexual harassment policy is recommended. Employers should ensure that everyone working within their organisations can use grievance procedures to raise concerns about discrimination and harassment at work, including those on zero hours or casual contracts, agency workers and contractors who may be employed by another organisation. Policies should make specific provision to ensure that employees are protected from experiencing adverse outcomes after reporting workplace sexual harassment.

The report also makes a number of recommendations for government.

Council asks the Leader of the Council to write to our local members of parliament to ask them to work in parliament towards:

-       Reinstatement of third party harassment legislation

-       Reinstatement of employment tribunal powers to make wider recommendations

-       Reinstatement of Statutory Equality Questionnaire

-       Recognition and facility time for union equality reps

-       Extending the full range of statutory employment rights to all workers, regardless of employment status or type of contract.

This motion was not taken because the time for discussing motions had elapsed.