What to do if…
you are pressured to meet privately after reporting sexual harassment and you feel unsafe

What to do now

1. Get to a safer pause before replying. If the person is nearby, move to a public work area, leave the room, call someone you trust, or contact a manager, HR, security, reception, or another appropriate workplace contact.

2. Reply briefly in writing if you can. Say that you will not attend a private meeting, you do not feel safe discussing this alone, and any next step should go through HR, a formal grievance route, or a manager who is not involved.

3. Ask for communication in writing for now. If they want to raise anything, ask them to send it by email or through the workplace process so there is a clear record.

4. Check your employer’s sexual harassment, grievance, dignity at work, bullying and harassment, or speak-up policy. Use the reporting route it gives, and avoid sending the issue only to the person who asked for the private meeting.

5. If you already reported the harassment, add the meeting request as a new concern. Include who asked, when they asked, the exact wording such as “clear the air,” whether it was private or informal, and why the format feels unsafe.

6. Ask for a safer format if any discussion is needed. Safer options can include a formal grievance meeting, HR present, a neutral manager present, written questions instead of a live discussion, a remote meeting, or communication only through a named person.

7. If you are invited to a formal grievance meeting about your complaint, ask to bring a companion. In the UK, workers generally have a statutory right to be accompanied at grievance meetings that deal with a complaint about a legal or contractual duty owed by the employer. If the meeting is described as informal or investigatory, the same legal right may not apply, but it is still reasonable to ask.

8. Ask for interim separation while the issue is being handled. This can include no direct contact, no one-to-one meetings, communication through HR or a named manager only, a temporary seating or work-location change, different reporting lines, rota changes, or another practical step that reduces contact.

9. Contact your trade union representative now if you have one. If you do not, and you need help understanding workplace options or grievance handling, contact Acas.

10. Since 6 April 2026, sexual harassment can be a qualifying disclosure under UK whistleblowing law where the legal conditions are met. Do not let anyone push you into keeping a concern off the record if you want it recorded; keep it in writing and use a formal reporting route.

11. If what happened included sexual assault, threats, stalking, or you are afraid of being followed or cornered at work, treat safety first. Get to a safer place, contact someone you trust, and seek specialist support. Reporting to the police is your choice unless there is immediate danger, in which case call 999.