From mandatory gender pay gap reporting and enhanced duties to prevent sexual harassment, to increasing awareness of workplace barriers faced by women, the direction of travel has been clear: organisations are expected not only to identify inequality, but actively do something about it.
The Government’s latest guidance on Gender Equality Action Plans, published on 7 April 2026, is the next step in that journey.
However, when viewed alongside the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) recent research into workplace harassment, a broader theme emerges. Regulators are increasingly focused on driving genuine cultural change rather than simply encouraging employers to introduce policies that sit untouched in a handbook.
Together, these developments send a powerful message to employers: tackling sexism at work requires evidence, accountability, leadership and sustained action.
A Shift Towards Proactive Equality Measures
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more employees will soon be required to develop and publish Gender Equality Action Plans. Although organisations have been able to create plans voluntarily since April 2026, the requirement is expected to become mandatory from Spring 2027.
The purpose of these plans is straightforward. Employers must demonstrate the steps they are taking to:
- Reduce their gender pay gap.
- Support employees experiencing menopause.
While these may appear to be separate issues, both are increasingly recognised as factors that can impact women’s participation, progression and retention in the workplace. In many organisations, they also form part of a wider conversation about sexism, workplace culture and barriers to equality.
The Government’s guidance provides a six-step framework for employers. Significantly, many of these steps mirror the recommendations emerging from the EHRC’s recent research into workplace harassment.
Understanding the Problem Before Choosing a Solution
The first step in creating an action plan requires employers to understand the issues they are trying to address.
Employers are encouraged to analyse workforce data, investigate the causes of their gender pay gap and engage directly with employees to understand their experiences of menopause in the workplace. The guidance suggests examining every stage of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment and promotion through to retention and exit rates.
This evidence-based approach reflects one of the EHRC’s most important findings. Its research concluded that employers should collect and analyse organisational data, employee survey results and workforce metrics to understand the true scale and nature of workplace issues before implementing solutions.
Importantly, the EHRC also warned employers against relying solely on complaint figures when assessing workplace culture. Low levels of reporting do not necessarily indicate an absence of harassment or discrimination. In some cases, they may instead suggest that employees do not feel confident reporting concerns.
For employers serious about tackling sexism, this is an important reminder that meaningful change begins with understanding employees’ actual experiences rather than relying on assumptions.
Culture Starts at the Top
A recurring theme throughout both the Government’s guidance and the EHRC’s research is the importance of leadership.
The Gender Equality Action Plan guidance emphasises the need to involve senior leaders, managers and key stakeholders early in the process. Employers are encouraged to consult widely and ensure leaders understand their role in driving change.
The EHRC’s research reinforces this point. It identified management behaviour as one of the most significant factors influencing workplace culture and found strong evidence linking poor supervisory relationships with an increased likelihood of workplace harassment.
This reflects a reality many employers are already familiar with: even the most carefully drafted policies are unlikely to succeed if leaders fail to model the behaviours they expect from others.
Addressing sexism in the workplace is therefore not simply a HR initiative. It is a leadership issue that requires visible commitment from the top of the organisation.
Policies Alone Are Not Enough
Once employers have identified the issues within their organisation, they must select actions to address them.
The Government’s framework requires employers to choose at least two actions, including one aimed at reducing the gender pay gap and one designed to support employees experiencing menopause. Employers must also explain why those actions were chosen and how progress will be measured.
This focus on implementation is particularly significant.
The EHRC’s research found that workplace policies alone are rarely effective in reducing harassment. Instead, policies must be supported by consistent communication, meaningful training and ongoing review.
The research highlighted several measures that are particularly effective, including:
- Tailored and repeated training programmes.
- Bystander intervention training.
- Multiple reporting routes.
- Strong management accountability.
- Integration of equality initiatives into existing performance management processes.
The message is clear: employers should not view equality action plans as a compliance exercise. They should instead use them as an opportunity to embed practical measures that address the root causes of workplace inequality and inappropriate behaviour.
Creating Safe and Accessible Reporting Mechanisms
One of the EHRC’s most striking findings was the importance of providing employees with more than one way to report concerns.
The research recommends that organisations offer at least two reporting routes, including external options where appropriate. Anonymous and digital reporting mechanisms may also help employees feel more comfortable raising concerns.
This aligns closely with the broader objective of Gender Equality Action Plans. If employers are to understand whether their initiatives are working, employees must feel safe enough to speak openly about their experiences.
A workplace culture where concerns are never raised is not necessarily a healthy one. In fact, some organisations may find that reports increase as trust in reporting mechanisms improves.
For employers seeking to reduce sexism at work, encouraging employees to speak up is often an essential first step towards identifying and addressing underlying issues.
Measuring Success Beyond Compliance
Perhaps the most important aspect of the new action plan framework is its emphasis on tracking outcomes.
Employers are expected to monitor progress, evaluate the effectiveness of their chosen actions and assess whether meaningful improvements are being achieved.
This reflects another key conclusion from the EHRC’s research: interventions should be continually reviewed and adapted based on evidence.
Too often, organisations introduce equality initiatives without assessing whether they are making a measurable difference. The Government’s new framework seeks to address this by requiring employers to move beyond intentions and demonstrate progress over time.
From Spring 2027, employers within scope will be expected to review and update their action plans regularly, with interim reviews and longer-term evaluations forming part of the process.
A New Era in Tackling Workplace Sexism
Taken together, the Government’s Gender Equality Action Plan guidance and the EHRC’s workplace harassment research signal a significant shift in how workplace equality is being approached.
The emphasis is no longer simply on having the right policies in place. Instead, employers are increasingly expected to understand the causes of inequality within their organisations, implement targeted interventions, listen to employees, monitor outcomes and demonstrate continuous improvement.
For employers, this represents more than another compliance obligation under the Employment Rights Act 2025. It is part of a wider regulatory and cultural movement towards preventing sexism, challenging workplace barriers and creating environments in which all employees can thrive.
Organisations that begin this work now will not only be better prepared for the mandatory Gender Equality Action Plan requirements in 2027 but will also be taking meaningful steps towards building safer, fairer and more inclusive workplaces.
How We Can Help
Tackling sexism in the workplace requires more than simply updating policies. Employers need to understand the risks within their organisation, implement effective measures and demonstrate ongoing progress.
Our specialist employment lawyers work with employers to review workplace culture, strengthen anti-harassment procedures, advise on menopause and equality policies, analyse gender pay gap risks and prepare for the introduction of mandatory Gender Equality Action Plans. We can also assist with workplace investigations, manager training, policy reviews and compliance with the Employment Rights Act 2025.
If you would like advice on how these changes may affect your organisation, please get in touch with a member of our Employment team.