BEERG Newsletter – Global: New CMS report on workplace harassment

Gerlind Wisskirchen from CMS writes: How have different countries responded to #MeToo? How does the law regulate workplace harassment on a global scale? Significant variations exist in relation to an employer’s legal obligations around the issue.

I am delighted to share with you the CMS Expert Guide on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. With contributions from 27 countries, this Expert Guide offers unique insights for employers on tackling sexual harassment and highlights how different countries responded to the #MeToo movement. As employers across the world deal with new ways of working, this Expert Guide reminds employers of the need to promote a positive working environment whether that’s remotely or in a socially distant workplace.

• There was a real variation in the impact of the #MeToo movement in the workplaces of our clients in different countries.
• Almost without exception, participating countries reported that the #MeToo movement has raised awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace although this has not led to a noticeable impact on the number of harassment claims against their employer clients in all locations. 
• Some interesting approaches to tackling sexual harassment in the workplace can be seen, with several of the countries reporting that their jurisdiction imposes a preventative duty on employers rather than simply operating a reactive regime where a complaint is made.

Watch the short introduction video and click here to read the CMS Expert Guide. 

From BEERG Newsletter Issue #37 – Nov 12, 2020