What is the Worker Protection Act preventative duty?

The Worker Protection Act introduced a positive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. It shifts the emphasis from responding after harm occurs to preventing it, meaning doing nothing is no longer a defensible position. The duty also extends to harassment by third parties such as clients.

What is non-financial misconduct and why does the FCA care about it?

Non-financial misconduct covers behaviour such as harassment, bullying and discrimination. The FCA treats it as relevant to whether an individual is fit and proper to hold their role under SM&CR. So conduct outside the strictly financial can still affect a person's fitness, propriety and ability to work in regulated financial services.

What is bystander intervention?

Bystander intervention is the skill of safely and constructively challenging or interrupting inappropriate behaviour when you witness it, rather than staying silent. It might mean speaking up in the moment, supporting the person affected, or reporting afterwards. A culture where colleagues feel able to intervene helps stop poor behaviour escalating.

Ethics & culture

Anti-Harassment & Inclusion

Support a respectful, inclusive workplace and explain responsibilities under the Worker Protection Act and the FCA's focus on non-financial misconduct.

Duration: ~20 min Accreditation: CPD accredited (CII) Last updated: April 2026 Reviewed by: Margaret Hassett

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What is anti-harassment and inclusion training, and why does it matter?

A respectful, inclusive workplace is both the right thing to do and a clear legal expectation. Harassment, bullying and discrimination are addressed through the Equality Act 2010, while the Worker Protection Act introduced a positive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. Getting it wrong risks tribunal claims, reputational harm and regulatory consequences.

Who needs anti-harassment training?

This training is for all employees and managers across the firm. Because the Worker Protection Act duty is about taking reasonable steps before harm occurs, firm-wide training helps demonstrate those steps, equips staff to recognise and challenge unacceptable behaviour, and supports the inclusive culture regulators increasingly expect of financial services firms.

What does anti-harassment training cover?

The course helps people recognise harassment, bullying and discrimination in their many forms, understand the firm’s preventative duties, and challenge and report inappropriate behaviour with confidence. It covers practical bystander intervention and explains how non-financial misconduct links to fitness and propriety, using concise, scenario-based examples reflecting real workplace situations.

What does the FCA expect on non-financial misconduct?

The FCA treats non-financial misconduct, such as harassment, bullying and discrimination, as relevant to whether an individual is fit and proper to hold their role under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime. Conduct outside strictly financial matters can therefore affect a person’s fitness and propriety to work in regulated financial services.

What your team will learn

Recognise harassment, bullying and discrimination
Explain the duty to prevent sexual harassment
Recognise how to challenge and report inappropriate behaviour
Explain how non-financial misconduct links to fitness and propriety

What's included

~20 min of focused, scenario-based learning
CPD accredited (CII)
Built-in quiz with a configurable pass mark
Reviewed and kept current with UK regulation
Time-stamped completion records for your audit trail

How it works

Assign it in seconds

Enrol a team, a role or your whole firm from the CityREPORTS dashboard, with automated reminders that chase completion for you.
Your team completes it

Learners work through the course at their own pace on any device, finishing with a short assessment that demonstrates understanding.
Evidence it to the regulator

Every completion is time-stamped and retained, so you can prove the right people did the right training at any moment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Worker Protection Act preventative duty?: The Worker Protection Act introduced a positive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. It shifts the emphasis from responding after harm occurs to preventing it, meaning doing nothing is no longer a defensible position. The duty also extends to harassment by third parties such as clients.
What is non-financial misconduct and why does the FCA care about it?: Non-financial misconduct covers behaviour such as harassment, bullying and discrimination. The FCA treats it as relevant to whether an individual is fit and proper to hold their role under SM&CR. So conduct outside the strictly financial can still affect a person's fitness, propriety and ability to work in regulated financial services.
What is bystander intervention?: Bystander intervention is the skill of safely and constructively challenging or interrupting inappropriate behaviour when you witness it, rather than staying silent. It might mean speaking up in the moment, supporting the person affected, or reporting afterwards. A culture where colleagues feel able to intervene helps stop poor behaviour escalating.
Who needs anti-harassment training?: All employees and managers across the firm benefit from anti-harassment training. Because the Worker Protection Act duty is about taking reasonable steps before harm occurs, firm-wide training helps demonstrate those steps, equips staff to recognise and challenge unacceptable behaviour, and supports the inclusive culture regulators increasingly expect.