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SEO title (H1): Effectively preventing sexual harassment in the workplace


How many incidents remain unseen in your organisation because no one is sure what is "still okay" - and what is already sexual harassment in the workplace? And what does it cost you if you only react when trust, team atmosphere and reputation have long been damaged? Sexual harassment in the workplace: definition, demarcation, business risk

Sexual harassment in the workplace is not an "interpersonal problem" that can be solved informally, but a clearly defined compliance and occupational health and safety case. The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) classifies sexual harassment as discrimination if unwanted, sexually oriented behaviour violates dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment

(Section 3 (4) AGG). For companies, this means that even supposedly "minor" actions (e.g. comments of a sexual nature, unwanted touching or the visible display of pornographic images) can be legally relevant.

From a B2B perspective, risks arise on several levels:

  • Labour law & Liability: Failure to take protective measures can lead to claims and conflicts. (§ 12 AGG)
  • Leadership & Culture: If employees have no trust in reporting centres, the reporting rate drops - incidents remain hidden, repetitions become more likely. (Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency)
  • Productivity & retention: Those affected and teams lose security, concentration and a sense of belonging - with consequential costs due to staff turnover, absenteeism and reputational damage (employer branding, recruiting). (DGUV) 

In D-A-CH in particular, employees also expect companies to offer professional processes: clear standards of behaviour, protection against retaliation, documented procedures and a low-threshold, confidential reporting option.

 

AGG sexual harassment: Obligations, rights, reporting centres and verifiability

It is not only the definition that is decisive for corporate practice, but also the question: what must employers actually do? The AGG obliges employers to take the necessary measures to protect against discrimination. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency specifies this obligation as a protection mandate that includes prevention and intervention - not just when a case escalates. 

A key lever are sexual harassment reporting centres and internal complaints channels: employees have a legal right to lodge a complaint with the relevant departments of the company/enterprise. (§ 13 AGG)

In practice, this means that responsibilities, procedures, confidentiality and communication must be organised in such a way that employees know where they can report and what will then happen. The Anti-Discrimination Agency also emphasises that a complaints office must be designated and publicised in every company. (Complaints office and complaints procedure in accordance with Section 13 AGG)

It is important for HR, compliance and IT management (e.g. for tooling/case management) to be able to provide evidence: without documented processes (receipt, review, measures, feedback), internal learning loops and legally compliant decisions become much more difficult. The Anti-Discrimination Agency explicitly describes good practice examples and task profiles for complaints offices (acceptance, objective review, communication of results, recommended measures, documentation). (Antidiskriminierungsstelle)

In addition, the AGG contains a strong signal: If employers do not take any or obviously unsuitable measures to prevent discrimination, those affected can cease their employment without loss of pay, insofar as this is necessary for protection. (§ 14 AGG) 

This emphasises why prevention is not "nice to have", but part of sound governance.

 

Current developments 2025/2026: Why prevention belongs on the agenda now

Several recent publications make it clear that sexual harassment in working life continues to be a relevant risk - even where companies see themselves as modern and value-oriented.

1) New data from the IAB (May 2025).
A study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) reports: Around 20 per cent of employees surveyed state that they have experienced cases of sexual harassment in their immediate working environment during their working life; the proportion is higher for women than for men.  (IAB-Presseinfo)

For company management, this figure should above all be read as a warning: The issue does not only affect "individual cases", but can occur in many organisations - visibly or invisibly.

2) Updated/re-highlighted materials from the Anti-Discrimination Agency.
The Anti-Discrimination Agency provides employers with information material and guidance that can be used in a company context for education, internal communication and process design.

3) Legal and protection gaps are the subject of greater political discussion (February 2026).
A current report by the Anti-Discrimination Agency points out serious gaps where the AGG does not apply outside of working life - combined with an appeal to further develop protection systems. (Antidiskriminierungsstelle) Even if companies primarily control working life, this debate increases the expectation that organisations will act proactively and not just meet minimum standards.

4) European guidelines against violence and harassment (May 2025).
The DGUV reports that European social partners have signed revised guidelines on preventing and combating violence and harassment in the workplace - explicitly also with regard to violence by third parties (e.g. customers, patients, students). (DGUV) 

For companies with service, healthcare, education or public traffic, this is a clear indication to think more broadly about protection concepts.

5) EU Directive on combating violence against women (in force since 13 June 2024).
With Directive (EU) 2024/1385, the EU has adopted a comprehensive legal act to combat violence against women and domestic violence. (EUR-Lex - Directive (EU) 2024/1385) The German Institute for Human Rights notes that this directive came into force on 13 June 2024 and is considered an important component of the EU's gender equality strategy. (German Institute for Human Rights) Even if direct implementation takes place nationally, the pressure on organisations to design prevention in a structured, comprehensible and effective manner is increasing.

 

Sexual harassment prevention: protection concept, roles, process design

Effective prevention is a system of standards (policy), skills (training) and processes (reporting/intervention). The AGG requires "necessary measures" - what these are depends on the industry, risk and size of the organisation

Process map: report, check, protect, learn

A resilient standard process reduces uncertainty among those affected, managers and HR - and increases the ability to act. The described tasks of complaints offices (acceptance, objective review, feedback on results, recommended measures, documentation) provide orientation.

A practical process can be structured in 6 steps:

  1. Receipt & protection: confidential acceptance, acute protective measures, reference to rights and support services. 
  2. Triage: categorisation (sexual harassment under the AGG? other breach of duty? criminal relevance?), responsibility, deadlines, start of documentation.
  3. Clarification of the facts: objective examination, hearings, preservation of evidence, protection against retaliation.
  4. Measures: steps under employment law, team/management intervention, organisational adjustments; the aim is to stop it.
  5. Feedback & documentation: result to complainant, documented decision and learning points.
  6. Review & prevention: analyse trends, check effectiveness of measures, sharpen training/policy.

Prevention building blocks that work in audits and practice

To ensure that prevention is more than just a paper process, companies should combine at least the following building blocks:

  • Code of conduct/policy: clear examples, limits, consequences, responsibilities. 
  • Low-threshold reporting points: internal (complaints office) and - depending on the level of maturity - additional external reporting options/confidants; awareness and confidentiality are crucial.
  • Training & sensitisation: appropriate for the target group (all employees, managers in depth), recurring, practical. 
  • Manager enablement: clear expectations, discussion guidelines, escalation logic, documentation requirements.
  • Risk focus on "third parties": protection also for customers/patients/audience, as addressed in the guidelines on combating violence and harassment.

In many organisations, prevention is decided precisely in the "grey area": employees are unsure whether behaviour already constitutes sexual harassment, whether they are overreacting or how they should react appropriately. A survey by the IAB shows that these are not marginal phenomena: a relevant proportion of employees perceive incidents of sexual harassment in their immediate working environment. 

A pragmatic approach can be illustrated using short, easily scalable learning formats, such as those in the mybreev online training course "Sexual harassment in the workplace": as a prevention and awareness-raising offer for employees with a focus on recognising, reporting and respectful interaction. The structure is designed for broad feasibility (micro-learning, around 15 minutes, multilingual, suitable for company-wide rollout). In terms of content, the learning objectives address typical weak points: categorising situations safely, taking warning signals seriously at an early stage, strengthening confidence in one's own perception and applying concrete assistance - for oneself as well as for others. This also includes making complaints and rights clear so that reporting centres are actually used. The course is structured on a chapter basis (eight modules) and works with case studies, changes of perspective and short dialogues, because real situations rarely occur in a "textbook" way. 

In order to ensure that prevention is not perceived as an isolated individual measure, it makes sense to embed it in a broader diversity & fairness programme that covers basic knowledge, inclusion and human rights perspectives in addition to concrete standards of behaviour - for example via learning paths such as "diversity - basic course", "inclusion" and "respecting human rights". This creates a consistent framework in which expectations, language and responsibilities within the company remain compatible.

 

Conclusion

Sexual harassment in the workplace is clearly defined by law and can be clearly addressed in organisational terms: companies must take protective measures, provide complaint channels and intervene effectively. The current data situation (IAB 2025) and the increasing political and European attention show that prevention is not just a duty, but a central component of a resilient corporate culture. Those who set up processes, reporting centres and training as an integrated system increase protection, capacity to act and audit capability - and at the same time reduce consequential risks for management, teams and reputation.

 

Note: This blog was supported in its research with AI.