My Colleagues Are Making Sexual Remarks: What Can I Do?

You can raise unwanted sexual comments at work

If colleagues are making unwanted sexual remarks, you can report the conduct and ask your employer to address it. Sexual comments can amount to sexual harassment, including a single incident. You do not have to laugh along, confront the person first or wait until the behaviour becomes physical before asking for support.

The legal question is more specific than whether a comment was rude. Sexual harassment involves unwanted conduct of a sexual nature with a prohibited purpose or effect, such as violating dignity or creating an offensive environment. The circumstances matter. Calling remarks banter does not decide whether that test is met.

Identify what happened and where

Comments may concern your body, clothing, sex life or relationships. They may be spoken during a shift, posted in a work chat or made during a work-related event. Harassment can also affect someone who hears comments directed at another person. The fact that several colleagues join in does not make the behaviour welcome.

For example, imagine a colleague repeatedly speculates about who you sleep with during handover. You change the subject, but they repeat it in the team chat. Record the spoken incident and the messages separately. Explain the work connection and how the conduct affected you rather than relying only on a description such as inappropriate.

Decide whether to respond directly

If you want to and feel safe, you can say plainly that the comments are unwanted and must stop. A short statement is enough; you do not need to debate whether everyone else found them funny. You can also choose to report the behaviour through the employer’s procedure without approaching the colleague.

Not objecting immediately does not automatically mean you consented. People may freeze, laugh nervously or try to avoid conflict. Record your reaction honestly. Do not rewrite a nervous laugh as a spoken objection, and do not assume that the absence of an objection means you cannot make a complaint.

Preserve an accurate account

Write down the incident soon afterwards. Keep exact wording where you remember it and label approximate wording appropriately. Describe the context without adding unnecessary intimate details about yourself or others. If you have relevant messages, preserve the complete exchange and visible dates rather than only a cropped image of one line.

Do not circulate the comments widely to obtain reactions. Share information through the appropriate reporting channel or with an adviser helping you. If the material includes sexual images, seek advice on handling it rather than forwarding copies around the workplace.

• Note who made the remark and who was present or included in the chat.
• Record what was said, when it happened and whether similar conduct occurred before.
• Explain your response and any later contact about the incident.
• Identify evidence the employer should preserve, such as a particular chat or meeting record.

Make a focused complaint and ask for support

Read the sexual harassment, dignity at work or grievance policy. Report to a manager, HR or the alternative contact named there. If your usual manager is involved, explain why you need someone else to handle the concern. Serious complaints can be raised formally from the outset.

Set out the conduct, the evidence and the practical support you need now. You might ask for contact arrangements, a named point of support or steps to prevent further remarks. Ask how the employer will protect the fairness of the investigation and manage confidentiality. Do not assume that nobody will be told the substance of the complaint.

If you fear retaliation, say so and identify the reason. Later exclusion, threats or loss of opportunities may need separate investigation. Keep those events in your timeline, but distinguish what occurred from your interpretation of why it occurred.

Understand the available protections

Employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. Acas explains that the duty strengthens to all reasonable steps from 30 October 2026. That later change is upcoming at this article’s 25 October review date. Check the current guidance for the position when your incident occurred.

Complaining about sexual harassment or supporting someone else’s complaint can engage Equality Act victimisation protection. Whistleblowing protection may also be relevant to qualifying disclosures about sexual harassment, but the legal conditions, including the public-interest requirement, still need to be considered. A personal complaint is not automatically protected whistleblowing simply because it concerns work.

Get advice without waiting for the internal outcome

You can ask Acas or a trade union about workplace procedures and seek independent legal advice about your rights. If there is an immediate threat, prioritise your safety rather than completing a perfect evidence record. Serious unwanted physical conduct may require a separate safety response as well as an employment complaint.

Check deadlines early if you are considering a tribunal claim. The grievance process does not stop the legal clock. Keep a copy of what you submitted, acknowledgement, meeting notes and the outcome. A clear record can help an adviser understand both the original conduct and how the employer responded.

Frequently asked questions

Can one sexual remark be harassment? Potentially, yes. A single incident can meet the legal test; its nature, context, purpose and effect matter. Repetition is not always required.

What if the comments were about someone else? You may still raise conduct you witnessed or heard. Explain how you encountered it and the effect on the workplace rather than claiming to speak for the other person.

Do I have to tell the colleague to stop first? No. You can report through an appropriate manager or formal procedure, particularly where direct confrontation feels unsafe or inappropriate.

Sources and scope

Guidance checked on 25 October 2026. This article covers England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has different employment laws and procedures; check the Labour Relations Agency guidance. Examples are fictional. Laws and procedures can change, so check the linked guidance and get advice about your circumstances.

• Acas: sexual harassment
• GOV.UK: workplace bullying and harassment
• Acas: victimisation
• GOV.UK: whistleblowing
• Acas: current tribunal time limits
• Northern Ireland: Labour Relations Agency
• Acas: preventing sexual harassment and law changes

Dealing with something similar at work?

EviDiary helps you organise workplace incidents, notes and supporting evidence into a dated timeline. You can prepare a report using the features available on your plan. Start with the facts you remember and label any uncertainty; a diary does not independently verify an allegation or guarantee a legal outcome. EviDiary helps you document what happened and does not replace independent legal advice.

• Open EviDiary and start documenting
• Compare EviDiary plans and report features