United Kingdom: government signs international convention against violence and harassment at work

The UK government announced on 7 March that it has signed the International Labour Organization’s landmark Violence and Harassment Convention (n°190), which was unveiled by the United Nations agency in 2019. Set to take effect in one year's time, the signing of the convention could bring about new developments for employers in the UK, who will have to ensure more than ever that the workplace is free of any form of violence or harassment.
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The UK is the third country in Europe – after Greece and Italy – and the 11th country in the world to sign this ILO convention (see article n°11186). This international treaty affirms that everyone has the right to work without facing violence or harassment. What sets it apart is that it provides, for the first time, a legal framework and an international definition of these different notions, with a particular emphasis on the situations faced by women and gender-based violence. “This definitio

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