Hospitality is a fast-moving, people-centred industry built on atmosphere, service and interaction. But that same energy can sometimes create challenges around personal boundaries and professional behaviour as seen in recent industry headlines.
While operational pressures like staffing, costs, and compliance often take centre stage, sexual harassment remains a real and ongoing concern for hospitality employers. Surveys from organisations including the Equality and Human Rights Commission and UKHospitality have shown that incidents are more common in public-facing roles, and reports tend to rise during busy social periods such as Christmas.
As we reach one year since the introduction of the Preventing Sexual Harassment (Workers Protection) Act, now is the time for hospitality businesses to reflect on how far we’ve come and what more can be done to create safer, more respectful workplaces.
The Challenge: When Pressure Meets People
Long shifts, customer-facing roles, and a culture of social interaction are central to hospitality, but they also mean that boundaries can sometimes become blurred. For staff, this can lead to uncomfortable or unsafe situations, often made worse by alcohol, crowds, and the heightened pace of service.
Addressing this issue proactively helps protect not only your people, but also your brand reputation and compliance standing.
A Year of Progress and a Call for Continued Action
The Preventing Sexual Harassment (Workers Protection) Act, which came into effect in October 2024, introduced a positive duty for employers to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment in the workplace.
One year on, many hospitality businesses have taken steps to strengthen policies, raise awareness, and train their teams. But lasting change requires prevention to be part of everyday culture, not just a policy on paper.
That means:
- Training staff and managers on what constitutes harassment and how to respond
- Setting clear expectations about behaviour in all areas of work
- Encouraging open conversations so people feel safe to speak up
Turning Awareness into Action
At Me Learning, we’ve developed a set of Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace e-learning courses tailored for hospitality teams.
Our Team member course helps staff understand boundaries, respectful interactions, and how to report concerns safely.
Our Managers’ version builds confidence to prevent, address, and resolve issues in line with best practice and the law.
Both are delivered digitally, making them easy to access for shift-based teams and ideal for onboarding or refresher training before the busy Christmas period.
By embedding prevention into training, hospitality businesses can go beyond compliance to create safer, more confident teams and stronger cultures of respect.
Looking Ahead: Making Safety Part of the Culture
The anniversary of this legislation is a reminder that workplace safety and respect must remain ongoing priorities. Every member of staff, from front-of-house to leadership, plays a role in shaping a culture where everyone feels valued and protected.
With the busy Christmas period on the horizon, proactive preparation will help your teams stay safe, compliant, and focused on great service.
Because a safe, respectful workplace isn’t just good compliance, it’s good business.
Explore our Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace courses for both team members and managers here or contact leahlord@melearning.co.uk to learn how we can help your organisation stay compliant and confident this festive season.
Find out more about our work in the hospitality sector.
