Imagine requesting flexible hours to support your family, only to face backlash, gossip, and harassment from your colleagues.
That’s exactly what happened to male employee, who was awarded over £20,000 after enduring sex-based harassment simply for exercising his right to flexible working.
Courtney Rawlins, a driver for DPD, was granted a 10-hour, four-day workweek ahead of his daughter’s birth in 2022. However, a breach of confidentiality revealed his new schedule to colleagues, leading to comments and gossip in the workplace. While some supported his arrangement, others questioned its fairness, resulting in further gossip that contributed to a toxic work environment. Rawlins’s case highlights the challenges men can face in accessing flexible working arrangements without stigma.
This case forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about workplace culture:
🆘 Are we genuinely supportive of flexible working, or is there an undercurrent of resentment?
🆘 How well are we safeguarding confidentiality and preventing discrimination and harassment?
🆘 What measures are in place to ensure that harassment, in any form, is completely eliminated?
From 26th October, the new Worker Protection Act requires employers to take ALL reasonable steps to prevent harassment in the workplace.
It’s no longer enough to react after the fact; proactive measures must be in place to ensure a culture where all employees are safeguarded from workplace sexual harassment.
Is your workplace ready to meet the new standard?