Reasonable steps defence

Would your ‘reasonable steps defence’ protect your organisation if a case was brought against you?  If the answer is no, KLC can help.

In Allay (Ltd) v Gehlen 2021, Allay sought to rely on the ‘reasonable steps defence’ when Gehlen brought a claim of racial harassment.  The EAT rejected Allay’s defence because in the 20 months since Gehlen had undergone training on equality matters it had become ‘stale and ineffective’.

This case is a timely warning to all organisations that merely having the right policies and procedures in place will not save you if you haven’t refreshed them, reminded the workforce about them, and delivered effective equality and diversity training on a regular basis.

If you would like to talk to KLC about helping protect your organisation by building your ‘reasonable steps defence’, contact Cas Carrington on 01483 415276.