Check what's harassment under discrimination law For all types of harassment, the behaviour you’re reporting has to be something you didn’t want. The law calls this ‘unwanted conduct’. You also always need to show that the person who harassed you meant to make you feel a certain way, or that you felt that way even though it wasn’t their intention. This is called ‘purpose or effect’. If the person didn’t mean to make you feel this way, it also has to be 'reasonable’ that you felt that way. You need to show that the purpose or effect of the conduct was that it violated your dignity or created an environment that:
humiliates you offends you intimidates you is hostile is degrading You also have to show that your situation is covered by one of the three types of harassment in discrimination law. 1 . The first type is where the unwanted conduct is related to a relevant 'protected characteristic' like gender or race. 2. The second type is where the unwanted conduct is of a sexual nature. 3. The third type is where you’re treated worse because of rejecting or submitting to unwanted sexual behaviour or behaviour related to gender reassignment or sex. This is called ‘being treated less favourably’.
It doesn't matter if the behaviour is directed at you or not - for example, if you overhear your colleagues making racist jokes or comments to each other. Harassment is covered by Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010. Age is defined in section 5 of the Equality Act 2010 Your Right to Report Sexual Misconduct and Harassment 12