Sexual harassment: is your charity doing enough?

Many charities have a harassment policy somewhere.

It may sit in a staff handbook. It may be part of a dignity at work policy. It may be covered in induction, or assumed to be understood because the organisation has strong values and a supportive culture.

But a policy on its own is not enough.

Since October 2024, UK employers have had a positive legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work. That matters for charities of every size. It means leaders need to think not only about how they would respond to a complaint, but also about what they are doing to reduce the risk of harassment happening in the first place.

For charities, this is not simply a compliance issue. It goes to culture, trust, safeguarding-adjacent risk, volunteer management, leadership and governance.

Why charities need to take this seriously

Charities are often values-led organisations. They may assume that because the mission is positive, the culture is safe.

That assumption can be dangerous.

Charity workplaces can include many different groups: staff, volunteers, trustees, beneficiaries, donors, contractors, event attendees and partner organisations. Some staff may work alone. Some volunteers may be older, younger or less familiar with formal workplace expectations. Some services involve personal, emotional or high-trust settings. Some people may feel unable to raise concerns because of seniority, status, funding relationships or fear of not being believed.

This does not mean charities are uniquely unsafe. It means the risk picture can be more complex than in a standard office environment.

A small charity might have a fundraising event where staff interact with donors and guests. A service delivery team might work off-site. A volunteer might make inappropriate comments. A senior person might behave in a way others find intimidating. A beneficiary might cross a boundary with a member of staff.

If leaders have not thought about these situations in advance, the charity may only discover the weakness when someone raises a concern.

Prevention means looking for risk before a complaint

The key shift is from reaction to prevention.

A charity should not wait until someone complains before asking where harassment risk could arise. It should look at its real working environment and ask practical questions.

Where are people alone with others? Where are there power imbalances? Where do staff or volunteers interact with donors, beneficiaries, trustees or members of the public? Are there events, travel, evening meetings or informal social settings? Do managers know what to do if someone reports a concern? Do people have more than one route to raise an issue?

This kind of risk assessment does not need to be dramatic or bureaucratic. It simply needs to be honest.

The most useful question is: “Where could someone feel uncomfortable, unsafe or unable to speak up?”

Policies need to be usable

A policy is still important, but it needs to be more than a document.

Staff and volunteers should know what behaviour is unacceptable, how to report concerns and what will happen if they do. Managers should understand how to respond without dismissing, minimising or over-promising. Trustees should know when they need to be informed and how to preserve independence if the matter escalates.

The policy should also reflect the charity’s actual working context. A generic office policy may not cover volunteers, beneficiaries, lone working, fundraising events or third-party settings clearly enough.

For example, if a member of staff is harassed by someone outside the organisation, such as a donor, contractor, service user or event attendee, the charity still needs to think carefully about how it protects its workers and responds.

Training matters

Training is not just about legal definitions. It is about confidence.

People need to understand what sexual harassment can look like, how power affects behaviour, how to report concerns and how to support someone who raises an issue.

Managers need more than a general awareness session. They need to know how to receive a concern calmly, record it properly, avoid prejudging the outcome and escalate it to the right person.

Trustees may also need a short briefing, particularly if the charity is small, has limited HR capacity or works in higher-risk settings. The board does not need to manage every complaint, but it does need assurance that prevention and response are being taken seriously.

Reporting routes must feel safe

One of the most important questions is whether people would actually use the reporting route.
A policy may say “speak to your line manager”. But what if the line manager is the problem? What if the person is a volunteer? What if the concern involves a senior leader, trustee or important donor? What if someone fears they will be seen as difficult?

Charities should make sure there is more than one route to raise concerns. They should also be clear about confidentiality, what happens next and what support is available.

People are more likely to speak up early when the route feels safe, clear and credible.

The trustee role

Trustees do not need to run the day-to-day prevention work. But they should ask the right questions.
Has the charity assessed harassment risk? Are policies up to date? Are staff and volunteers trained? Are there safe reporting routes? Are concerns recorded and reviewed? Does the charity know when to get legal, HR or independent investigation support?

This is part of good governance. It is also part of protecting the charity’s culture, people and reputation.

A practical first step

For many charities, the best starting point is a short prevention review.

Look at the policy. Look at the real working environment. Look at reporting routes. Look at training. Look at where people may be vulnerable or where power sits unevenly.

Then decide what reasonable steps the charity needs to take next.

This is not about creating fear or paperwork for its own sake. It is about making sure the charity’s values are backed by practical protection.

At 9 Mountains, we help charities connect legal, HR, governance and leadership support so they can identify risk early and take sensible steps. Where specialist employment law input is needed, we can bring in the right expertise at the right point.