- Conference
- 2026 National Community Conference and Seminar
- Date
- 18 September 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that sexual harassment remains a pervasive and deeply damaging issue across the community sector, affecting workers in local government, charities, housing, social care, and other frontline services. It contributes to a culture of silence, fear, and inequality, and undermines the safety and dignity of our members.
Despite existing policies, many incidents go unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of trust in reporting procedures. UNISON members have shared experiences of inappropriate comments, unwanted physical contact, and abuse of power—often exacerbated by hierarchical management structures, precarious contracts, and under-resourced HR and safeguarding teams.
Recent evidence highlights the scale of the problem:
1)Surveys and testimonies from UNISON members in community services show that sexual harassment is widespread and often minimised or ignored by employers.
2)Workers in care, housing, and youth services report harassment not only from colleagues and managers, but also from service users and members of the public.
3)Casualisation, lone working, and lack of training or support leave many staff vulnerable and isolated.
4)Intersectional factors—such as race, disability, gender identity, and migration status—compound the risks and barriers to justice.
Conference believes:
a)Sexual harassment is a form of gender-based violence and workplace discrimination.
b)Every worker in community services deserves a safe, respectful, and supportive working environment.
c)UNISON must lead the fight for robust, survivor-centred approaches to tackling sexual harassment across the sector.
Conference therefore calls on the Community Service Group Executive to:
I)Develop guidance to support branches to lobby their employers across the sector to implement clear, accessible, and confidential reporting mechanisms that protect staff from retaliation and ensure accountability.
II)Support branches to negotiate stronger anti-harassment policies and transparent disciplinary procedures.
III)Work with UNISON’s national women’s committee and equality structures to ensure intersectional approaches that reflect the experiences of Black, disabled, LGBT+, young, and migrant workers in the community sector.
IV)Provide resources and training for UNISON reps and stewards to support members experiencing sexual harassment, challenge inappropriate behaviour, and build safer workplaces.