An All-Party Parliamentary Group on workplace violence published a report this month finding that current approaches are leaving frontline workers to manage violence personally rather than having it prevented structurally. The APPG heard evidence from a bus driver held at gunpoint, and from the Prison Officers' Association, which described attacks on prison staff as a "moral failure", with multiple workers hospitalised weekly. The report calls for prosecution of repeat offenders, improved incident reporting systems, and proper de-escalation and prevention strategies across transport, schools, retail, and local authorities.

At UNISON's national health care service group conference in Edinburgh in April, one of the first motions passed called for greater protections for NHS workers facing violence. Delegates heard that zero tolerance policies and posters in hospitals are routinely ignored by patients and staff alike. One delegate described being stabbed with a broken biro and having to be escorted to her car by security after every shift. Becky Anstead, from the East of England ambulance service, told conference that incidents go unreported because they are deemed part of the job. In 2023, her service recorded 1,455 attacks on staff, an 18% increase on the previous year.

London Underground drivers began a 48-hour strike from Tuesday 19 May 2026, in a dispute involving a four-day working week. The action follows the APPG report earlier this month confirming that two thirds of RMT members experienced workplace violence in the past year, and seven in ten say it is getting worse. Transport for London recorded around 10,500 incidents of violence and aggression in 2023-24 alone. Most respondents to the RMT survey indicated willingness to take industrial action if safety continues to deteriorate.

The government has published a consultation document setting out how it intends to define "all reasonable steps" under the Employment Rights Act 2025 sexual harassment duty. Expected steps include risk assessments, published policies, reporting mechanisms, and complaints procedures. However, secondary legislation does not come into force until 2027, following consultation, leaving employers to comply with the higher standard before receiving definitive regulatory guidance. Third-party harassment liability lands at the same time in October 2026, covering all nine protected characteristics.