On 5th August 2019, the actor Emma Watson launched a workplace harassment legal advice helpline, aiming to give more women a better understanding of their rights. The helpline is being funded by public donations, including money from Watson, and will be managed by Rosa, the UK fund for women and girls.
Positive progress
The launch of this new advice line has been widely welcomed and marks a positive step forward. Research carried out by the TUC has found that half of women report having been sexually harassed in the workplace, whilst assaults on those from the LGBTQ+ community are also very high. Sexual harassment in the workplace has been branded an ‘epidemic’ by some, but the vast majority of cases still go unreported.
Many women are deterred from reporting workplace harassment despite the success of the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns, both of which Watson has supported. Since the withdrawal of legal aid several years ago, employment cases involving sexual harassment have declined. Many women have feared that making a formal complaint could jeopardise their careers, or simply haven’t understood where they stand in legal terms should they wish to put forward a case against another member of staff.
Plugging a gap
The helpline will be staffed by qualified legal professionals from the charity Rights of Women, plugging the gap left by the withdrawal of legal aid. Women will be able to call and receive free, impartial advice on the viability of their case before they make informed decisions about their next steps and start to navigate the legal system in pursuit of justice. Women looking to make a case against an employer or another member of staff could then approach employment solicitors.
At Nalders LLP, we have solicitors who specialise in workplace sexual harassment cases, so if you live in Cornwall and believe you have a case, then we are always happy to help. Our employment department includes solicitors who specialise in settlement agreements, providing one to one legal advice on whether or not you should sign such a document at the end of your employment.
As an initial port of call, Watson’s helpline is a very powerful tool for victims of sexual harassment. The contact number for the new helpline is 020 7490 0152.