The New Sexual Harassment Legislation and Your Responsibilities

Written by:

Matthieu Sewell

Marketing & Technical Director

Time to read: 7 minutes

Created on: 14/07/2025

This Isn’t Just an HR Issue, It’s a Culture Issue
What’s Changing? A Quick Overview of the New Law
What Counts as Sexual Harassment in a Studio Setting?
Your Responsibilities as a Studio Owner (And What “Reasonable Steps” Look Like)
What About Freelancers and Independent Instructors?
Fostering a Safe, Supportive Studio Culture
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Your To-Do List: A Quick Compliance Checklist
How StudioPro Can Help
Safety Is Leadership

This Isn’t Just an HR Issue, It’s a Culture Issue

Running a pole or aerial studio is about creating a space where people feel empowered, confident, and safe. The new sexual harassment legislation isn’t here to trip you up—it’s here to help you protect your community and build that culture of trust.

From October 2024, UK employers—including small studios like yours—have a positive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This means being proactive, not just reactive.

What’s Changing? A Quick Overview of the New Law

The Sexual Harassment Prevention Duty updates the Equality Act 2010. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) now has stronger powers to enforce this duty. If harassment happens, studios must show they took reasonable steps to prevent it beforehand—not just deal with it after the fact.

Why does this matter? Even studios with a small team, freelancers, or contractors fall under this legislation. It’s about leadership, care, and responsibility.

(Source: EHRC Guidance on Sexual Harassment Prevention Duty)

What Counts as Sexual Harassment in a Studio Setting?

Sexual harassment covers any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.

In your studio, this might include:

Unwelcome comments, jokes, or gestures
Unwanted physical contact
Inappropriate messages or social media interactions
Abuse of power dynamics, like between instructor and student

Remember, harassment can come from anyone—staff, students, freelancers, or visitors.

Your Responsibilities as a Studio Owner (And What “Reasonable Steps” Look Like)

The law expects you to actively prevent harassment, not just respond to complaints.

Reasonable steps include:

Having a clear, accessible anti-harassment policy
Providing regular training and refreshers for your team
Establishing easy and confidential ways for people to report concerns
Keeping records of complaints and actions taken
Taking prompt and fair action if an incident occurs

Even if you’re a small team or a solo owner, demonstrating these steps is crucial.

StudioPro tip: Store your policies, training dates, and incident logs securely and keep them updated.

What About Freelancers and Independent Instructors?

Many studios work with freelancers or self-employed instructors. The good news: you’re still responsible for the environment they work in.

Include clear expectations in contracts or studio agreements about behaviour and harassment prevention. Ensure they understand your policies and reporting processes.

What About Freelancers and Independent Instructors?

Beyond ticking boxes, your studio’s vibe is your greatest asset. Create a culture where students and staff feel comfortable speaking up and supporting each other.

Try:

Displaying a visible code of conduct
Offering anonymous feedback channels
Embedding community values into onboarding and regular communications
Celebrating respect, inclusivity, and safety openly

A safe culture isn’t just compliance—it’s the heart of your business.

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What Happens If You Don’t Comply?

Non-compliance can lead to serious consequences:

Enforcement action from the EHRC
Employment tribunals and legal claims
Damage to your studio’s reputation and community trust

Taking proactive steps shows leadership and protects your business’s future.

(Source: ACAS Guide to Sexual Harassment at Work)

Your To-Do List: A Quick Compliance Checklist

You don’t need to be a behavioural economist—just use a few clever cues to help your prices feel right.

Review and update your anti-harassment policy
Deliver or arrange training for your staff and freelancers
Include conduct expectations in all agreements
Set up clear, confidential reporting channels
Keep logs of reports and follow-ups
Regularly revisit and refresh policies and training

How StudioPro Can Help

StudioPro’s tools make compliance simpler:

Secure storage for policies and training records
Incident and complaint tracking with easy audit trails
Automated reminders for training refreshers
Templates for contracts and code of conduct to customise for your studio

Safety Is Leadership

Your studio is a place where strength, confidence, and joy flourish. This legislation empowers you to protect that space—not by creating fear, but by leading with care.

When you prioritise safety and respect, you build a community that lasts.

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