British public supports workplace equality protections

Polling from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) indicates strong public support for maintaining workplace equality protections in Britain. According to the research, 77 percent of the public support robust protections against workplace harassment, while 74 percent favor retaining the Equality Act 2010. Notably, support for these measures extends to voters of Reform UK, with 55 percent of those respondents supporting provisions that require employers to prevent sexual harassment.

These findings follow comments from Women and Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson, who suggested that racism and sexism are becoming ‘normalised’ in the UK due to social media and political rhetoric. While some critics argue that long-term social attitude surveys show Britain is becoming less racist and sexist over time, the government is moving forward with legislative updates.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is set to strengthen protections against harassment. Starting October 30, employers will be required to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment, including protections against harassment from third parties such as customers or clients.