Only 37% of employers actively train new recruits in their equal opportunities policy, leaving companies open to compensation claims, according to a new survey.
The poll of 100 employers, by employment law specialist Thomas Mansfield LLP, looked at sexual harassment at work and found that of those who did cover equal opportunities at the induction stage, just 7% gave any further training.
Neil Thomas, partner at Thomas Mansfield said: "Employers do not realise that they will not be able to mount a successful defence against these claims unless they can prove that they have taken such steps as are 'reasonably practicable' to train its employees in their equal opportunities policy."
He added that in a recent case an employee was found responsible for an act of discriminatory harassment against another employee. The harasser was ordered to pay £7,000, but the employer, a small car dealership, was ordered to pay £171,000.
