TOUGHER laws are needed to make employers stamp out the “pervasive problem” of sexual harassment at work, the Unison women’s conference heard today.

Despite pledges to act, the government has failed to produce reforms and legislation, the union said, adding that victims are often too scared to report abuse for fear of reprisals or losing their jobs.

Unison, whose two-day annual women’s conference began on Thursday, said that the government had pledged last July to make bosses legally responsible if their employees were subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace. 

However, the reforms proposed by Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss, which could see employers end up in court, have still to be published. 

The delay is concerning, given that sexual harassment is a pervasive problem, with the perpetrators including patients or other members of the public who target staff at their places of work, the union pointed out. 

General secretary Christina McAnea said: “Zero-tolerance workplace policies on abuse and sexual harassment simply don’t go far enough. 

“All too often, employers use them as a tick-box exercise. 

“Some bosses will only act to change workplace culture if they are made accountable in law and fear being taken to court.

“A legal duty on employers to prevent harassment and unacceptable behaviour is long overdue. 

“Ministers must make this a priority, otherwise the lives of countless workers will continue to be ruined by the perpetrators.” 

The government’s pledge to force employers to tackle sexual harassment at work was given in response to a consultation on the problem.