Harassment at work related to a protected characteristic is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010. This guide explains what counts as harassment, what you can do, and how to make a claim.
Harassment at work is not just unpleasant — in many cases it is a serious legal wrong. If you are being harassed because of who you are, UK law gives you powerful protections and the right to compensation.
This guide explains what legal harassment is, how it differs from bullying, and what you can do about it.
Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 defines harassment as:
Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of:
- violating the complainant's dignity, or
- creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment
Harassment claims under the Equality Act can be brought on the basis of:
Note: Pregnancy and maternity, and marriage/civil partnership, have separate protections but the harassment provisions do not apply in exactly the same way.
Harassment does not need to be deliberate. The test is whether the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating dignity or creating a hostile environment. This is assessed from the perspective of the victim, taking into account all the circumstances.
Examples of conduct that may constitute harassment:
A single incident can be sufficient — there is no minimum number of incidents required.
Until 2013, employers had specific liability for harassment by customers, clients, or suppliers. This was removed from statute, but employers may still be vicariously liable if they fail to take reasonable steps to protect employees from third-party harassment that they are aware of.
UK law does not specifically define "bullying" at work. There is no standalone legal right not to be bullied unless the bullying amounts to:
If you are being bullied but it does not relate to a protected characteristic, you still have options — but the legal route is more complex.
Sexual harassment has additional protections under the Equality Act and the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, which came into force in October 2024:
Document every incident:
If safe to do so, tell the harasser that their behaviour is unwanted and must stop. This is not legally required, but it can be useful evidence and may resolve matters quickly in some cases.
Use your employer's harassment or dignity at work policy to make a formal complaint. If your employer has no policy, report to HR or a senior manager.
Your employer has a legal duty to investigate your complaint. If they fail to take it seriously, that failure may itself form part of a later claim.
If the informal complaint does not resolve matters, raise a formal written grievance. The ACAS Code requires your employer to investigate and respond within a reasonable timeframe.
If internal processes fail, you can bring a claim under the Equality Act in the Employment Tribunal:
An employer is vicariously liable for harassment by employees acting in the course of their employment — unless the employer can show it took all reasonable steps to prevent it. This means having and enforcing appropriate policies, training, and complaint mechanisms.
If the employer took no steps, or inadequate steps, they will almost certainly be liable alongside (or instead of) the individual harasser.
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