UK Film and TV Productions Now Answerable for Outside Harassment of Staff

Film and TV productions in the UK can now be held responsible when outsiders harass the people working for them. The new rules took effect on Friday 30 October 2026, according to the UK government.

The change sits in the Employment Rights Act 2025. It covers harassment by "third parties", meaning people who are not the employer or a fellow worker, such as clients, suppliers or members of the public. Under the law, employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent harassment. A worker can bring a claim up to six months after an incident. The government's business guidance says employers must not allow their staff to be harassed by third parties.

For productions, the reach is wide. Deadline reports that if cast or crew are harassed during a shoot by an agent, by someone on location, or by a person with no connection to the project, the production company or studio could now be liable. Film and TV work often involves many people in many places, from a studio lot to a street or a hotel, so that exposure is broad.

Deadline also reports that large UK production groups and studios had been getting ready for the change. Pact, the trade body for UK production companies, sent its members a note in the week before that report. Its legal chief urged members to update their anti-harassment and bullying policies to stay compliant. The training body ScreenSkills has updated the anti-bullying and harassment module on its training passport, the record many crew use to show they have completed industry courses.

For the crew, the practical question is simple. Who is responsible when a problem comes from outside the production? Under this law, the answer can now point back to the company making the show.