Workplace Sexual Harassment
Guidance and Training
For organisations navigating the Worker Protection Act and beyond - training focused on impact that is grounded in real expertise
How I can help
Online and in person training programs for organisations that take their legal duties seriously. We cover the Worker Protection Act 2023, what sexual harassment actually looks like, setting professional behaviour expectations, how to respond to a disclosure, and how to build a genuinely preventative culture. Tailored to your organisation and delivered by a specialist.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Training Programme
Consultancy session plus a written report assessing where your organisation currently stands - your policies, training provision, and reporting mechanisms. Clear, prioritised recommendations so you know exactly what to do next.
Worker Protection Act Compliance Review
Martha Jephcott
Specialist trainer and consultant in sexual harassment and gender-based harm
I've spent over a decade working at the intersection of gender-based harm and institutional change. That background shapes everything about how I design and deliver training: it's grounded in how harm actually operates, how organisations respond to it, and what genuine culture change requires.
I've designed and delivered bespoke and accredited training for universities, hospitality groups, charities, and police forces on sexual harassment and gender-based harm. This includes the OCN London Level 3 Certificate in Domestic Abuse: Prevention and Early Intervention, designed and delivered for Refuge, the largest provider of specialist domestic abuse services in the country. I was the first in the country to design and deliver misogyny hate crime training, working with police forces who were early adopters of misogyny in their hate crime recording and response.
I am currently undertaking a PhD at Nottingham Trent University, examining the benefits, risks, and ethics of lived-experience volunteering in organisations addressing violence against women and girls.
My training is practical, plain-speaking, and built for organisations that want to do more than tick a box.
Qualifications & Roles
Qualified Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA)
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) Program Manager
PhD Researcher, Nottingham Trent University
Churchill Fellow
Other Work & Recognition
Co-founder, Love & Power
Author, Survivors Building Love & Power (2026)
Media contributor - BBC Breakfast, Victoria Derbyshire, LBC and The Guardian
The Worker Protection Act
In October 2024, the Worker Protection Act 2023 came into force. For the first time in UK employment law, employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to actively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace - not just respond to complaints after the fact.
This is a significant shift. Previously, an employer could wait for something to go wrong and then act. Now, proactive prevention is a legal requirement. Organisations that fail to demonstrate they have taken reasonable steps face:
Uplifts of up to 25% on any employment tribunal compensation awards
Enforcement action from the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Serious reputational damage if a case becomes public
What "reasonable steps" actually means
The Act doesn't prescribe exactly what employers must do, but it does expect organisations to think seriously about their specific workplace, their workforce, and the risks that exist there. That means:
Having a clear, up-to-date sexual harassment policy
Providing regular, meaningful training or engagement, not a one-off e-learning module
Having robust and trusted reporting mechanisms
Taking a proactive approach to culture, not just compliance
Why does this require specialist expertise?
Sexual harassment doesn't happen in a vacuum. It sits within a broader landscape of gender-based harm that affects a significant proportion of your workforce - statistically, people in any training room you run will have their own experiences of it.
That means this work requires more than a working knowledge of employment law. It requires expertise in how harm operates, sensitivity to the people in the room, and the skill to handle whatever arises, including disclosure. Delivered well, this training can be genuinely transformative. Delivered poorly, it can cause real harm.
Get in touch
Whether you're ready to book training, want to discuss your organisation's needs, or just want to find out more - I'd love to hear from you.
I work with organisations of all sizes across the public, private, and voluntary sectors.
hello@marthajephcott.co.uk