Rayner: I’ll make businesses protect interns from sexual harassment

Ms Rayner announced her plans with minimal fanfare on Thursday – Jeremy Selwyn

Labour would pass a new law to force firms to protect interns and volunteers from sexual harassment, Angela Rayner has announced.

The party’s deputy leader unveiled the plans as she warned that the “culture of sexism” against women in the workplace is still “deep set”.

Addressing a business conference, she also defended her plans to strengthen workers’ rights after unions claimed they had been watered down.

Ms Rayner said that almost two-thirds of young women had experienced sexual assault, harassment or bullying at work.

She added that being a victim of harassment was especially “damaging” for women starting their careers and could put them off going for promotion.

“Despite the efforts of many good employers, the culture of sexism we face is still deep-set,” she told a Chartered Management Institute conference.

Ms Rayner in London on Thursday as she announced her new plans – Jeremy Selwyn

“Labour will introduce new laws to protect women starting out in the workplace from sexual harassment at the very place where they should be free to thrive.

“Employers will need to take steps to protect their newest and youngest workers from sexual harassment, ensuring that existing requirements apply to contracted interns and volunteers who have signed work agreements too.”

The changes would extend companies’ obligations under the 2010 Equalities Act, which enshrines womens’ rights, to explicitly cover interns and volunteers.

Tory ministers looked at making such a change in 2021, though concerns were raised about the “administrative burden” on organisations like small charities.

An unusually low-key announcement

Ms Rayner made the announcement in an unusually low-key speech amid swirling questions over the sale of her ex-council house.

No journalists were invited to attend the event and she did not put in any media appearances, as would be typical when announcing a new policy.

In her address, she also defended her aim to overhaul workers’ rights amid suggestions she is at loggerheads with Sir Keir Starmer over the plans.

Unions have accused the Labour leadership of bowing to business pressure over the proposals, in part by diluting a ban on zero-hour contracts.

Leaked papers show the party’s initial plans to outlaw fire and rehire tactics and introduce a “right to switch off” have also been watered down.

‘A genuine living wage’

Ms Rayner insisted: “We will make work pay by bringing in a genuine living wage and by strengthening sick pay for the lowest earners.

“We will make work more secure by banning exploitative zero-hour contracts and by ending fire and rehire.

“We will make work more family friendly by making sure flexible working is the genuine default and by bringing in a right to switch off.”

Ms Rayner first announced her New Deal for Workers at the Labour conference in 2021, outlining a series of sweeping reforms to labour rights.

Since then, the package has been steadily watered down amid business warnings that it would damage Britain’s competitiveness.

Unite, which is Labour’s largest union donor, has reacted with fury at what it called a “betrayal” and is urging Sir Keir to return to the original plan.

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