To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to support initiatives that encourage workplace policies and practices that contain the values of Equally Safe.
Under Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, we are progressing a range of activity to eradicate and prevent VAWG through the priorities identified in the Equally Safe Delivery Plan that we published last year. Included within the Delivery Plan is the commitment to develop a streamlined approach to trauma-informed workplace practices that will promote and enhance VAWG knowledge, skills and expertise.
The Delivery Plan contains the actions we are taking to achieve this, including that we will support and promote initiatives that exemplify and promote workplace policies and practices that take a gendered analysis of VAWG and embed the principles of Equally Safe, particularly in the public and third sectors.
Under this action we are continuing to support Close the Gap on the Equally Safe at Work employer accreditation programme, which helps employers in local government, the NHS and third sector to develop gender and VAWG sensitive workplace practices.
The Delivery Plan also contains the action to develop and implement a national framework that will inform an approach to trauma-informed VAWG training and workforce development across the public and the third sectors, which we fund Scottish Women’s Aid to lead on. We are working with them and key stakeholders to ready the framework for implementation across the public and third sectors in spring 2026.
There is no place for harassment or abuse in the workplace, and everyone deserves to be respected and to feel safe in their working environment no matter their job or industry. All employers have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers.
While employment law is reserved to the UK Parliament we continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across Scotland. Fair Work First criteria in procurement and grants is the tool we use to raise employment standards in Scotland and to promote more diverse workforces. Our Fair Work First guidance encourages all employers to have in place robust workplace policies for handling issues such as bullying or harassment and it provides advice and signposting to our Equally Safe strategy and the Equally Safe at Work framework.
On 25 April 2025 we launched our Fair Work Resource Hub for employers where they can find all relevant guidance, advice, case studies, signposting and networking opportunities on removing barriers to Fair Work for many workers, including signposting to guidance on preventing sexual harassment at work.
