The Worker Protection Act 2024 marks one of the most significant shifts in workplace safety obligations in recent years. For employers, it introduces a new positive duty to take proactive, reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment — including harassment from third parties such as customers, clients, and the public.
For organisations with lone or mobile workforces, this change has important implications. It broadens the definition of risk, challenges traditional approaches to lone worker safety, and raises a critical question:
Are you protecting all employees who are now considered at risk?
What Does the Worker Protection Act 2024 Require?
Historically, employer responsibility around harassment focused largely on internal behaviours. The Worker Protection Act 2024 extends this significantly by requiring organisations to actively prevent sexual harassment rather than simply respond to it, consider risks posed by third parties, and demonstrate that reasonable preventative steps have been taken.
For lone workers, this is particularly impactful. Employees working alone are often in direct contact with the public — and without immediate support from colleagues — making them more vulnerable to both physical and non-physical threats.
Worker Protection Act 2024: Impact Across Key Industries
The impact of the Worker Protection Act 2024 will not be felt evenly. It is particularly significant in sectors where employees work alone, off-site, or in direct contact with the public.
For organisations operating across core verticals, the implications are clear:
Housing & Property Services
Housing officers, repairs teams, and property inspectors frequently attend tenant homes or public spaces alone, often in unpredictable situations. Key risks now in scope include harassment or intimidation during home visits, entering unfamiliar environments without support, and escalation from vulnerable or distressed tenants.
Organisations must move beyond physical safety and ensure personal safety and behavioural risks are actively managed, particularly in frontline housing roles.
Healthcare & Community Care
Community nurses, social workers, and care professionals routinely operate in isolation within patient homes or community settings. Key risks now in scope include exposure to challenging or volatile situations, working in private environments without witnesses, and interactions with patients, families, or the public.
Duty of care now extends to ensuring staff are protected from inappropriate or threatening behaviour, not just clinical or environmental risks.
Field Service & Utilities
Engineers and field technicians often work alone across large geographic areas, interacting with customers on-site. Key risks now in scope include customer interactions turning confrontational or inappropriate, remote or hard-to-reach locations, and limited real-time oversight.
While these teams are often already equipped for physical safety, organisations must ensure coverage addresses behavioural risks and supports escalation in real time.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Failure to meet these new obligations doesn’t just carry ethical or reputational consequences.
Under the updated legislation:
- Employment tribunals can increase compensation awards by up to 25% if employers fail to take reasonable preventative steps
- Organisations may face increased scrutiny around risk assessments and duty of care practices
- Employee trust and engagement may be impacted if safety concerns are not addressed
This is not just a compliance issue — it’s a business risk.
4 Signs Your Lone Worker Strategy May Need Updating
Many organisations already have lone worker safety measures in place. However, the new duty means it’s worth reassessing whether those measures go far enough.
What Employers Should Do Now
1. Reassess Your Workforce
Identify roles that involve:
- Working alone
- Interaction with customers or the public
- Exposure to isolated or unpredictable environments
You may find the at-risk group is much broader than expected.
2. Update Policies and Procedures
Ensure your policies:
- Clearly state a zero-tolerance approach to third-party harassment
- Define how incidents should be reported and handled
- Are accessible to employees working remotely or alone
3. Strengthen Monitoring and Support
Put in place mechanisms that enable:
- Regular check-ins
- Real-time alerts or escalation
- Rapid response in emergency situations
The goal is not just to respond to incidents, but to reduce the likelihood of them occurring.
4. Enable Safe and Simple Reporting
Workers must feel able to report concerns easily and confidentially—especially when they are away from traditional workplace environments.
This includes:
- Clear reporting channels
- Tools that can be used in-the-moment
- Assurance that concerns will be taken seriously
Closing the Gap Between Policy and Practice
For many organisations, the foundations of lone worker safety are already in place. However, the Worker Protection Act 2024 highlights a common gap: protection is often limited to a small subset of workers, while risk now applies much more broadly.
Technology used to support lone worker protection — such as check-ins, alerts, and monitoring systems — can play a critical role in bridging this gap when applied more widely across the workforce.
Next Steps: Are You Fully Covered?
Now is the time to take a closer look at your current approach. Ask yourself:
- Are all at-risk employees identified and protected?
- Are your processes aligned with the new preventative duty?
- Is your existing solution being used to its full potential?
Book a Lone Worker Protection review to assess your current coverage and identify any gaps in line with the Worker Protection Act 2024.
