MARCH 5th, 2025 – United Kingdom
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (Equality Act 2010, S40A), which came into force on 26th October 2024, imposes a new legal duty on employers to take “reasonable steps” to prevent unwanted behaviour in the workplace.
Alongside the ISO 31030:2021 framework for managing travel risks, businesses across the UK and Europe now face increasing pressure to protect their employees—both within the workplace and when travelling for business.
For over 20 years, Subrosa Group (SRG) has been at the forefront of workplace safety innovation, adapting methodologies first developed in the United States to meet UK and European requirements.
Under the leadership of Group CEO Niall Burns, the company has introduced transformative solutions to address harassment, violence, and travel risks.
A Legacy of Expertise
Niall Burns’ career in corporate threat management began in Los Angeles in 2001, where he trained with the world’s leading experts in threat assessment and harassment prevention. He worked alongside pioneers such as Dr Reid Meloy, a forensic psychologist and FBI consultant; LAPD Threat Management Unit leaders Lt Jeff Dunn and Gregory Boles; and Deputy District Attorney Rhonda Saunders, renowned for prosecuting the stalkers of Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Steven Spielberg.
Upon returning to the UK, Burns developed a groundbreaking multidisciplinary model for threat management. He assembled a highly skilled in-house team, including forensic psychologist Dr Lorraine Sheridan; specialists in surveillance, protection and investigation; and law expert Michelle Prince. To further strengthen the team’s capabilities, Burns works with external legal advisers David Hardstaff of BCL Solicitors and Elizabeth Johnson of Level Law.
Burns states, “Unlike many firms in the UK and Europe that outsource key roles, Subrosa Group employs specialists across every necessary discipline—including investigators, profilers, and security experts. Keeping our team in-house provides a distinct advantage in terms of continuity, expertise, and experience, enabling us to deliver successful outcomes for businesses, universities, governmental institutions, healthcare providers, and high-profile individuals, in both civil and criminal cases. We also collaborate with trusted external legal professionals when required, on a case-by-case basis.”
Furthermore, Subrosa Group has partnered with leading clinical and investigative psychologist Bram Van der Meer to develop the European Accredited Threat Management Practitioner Qualification. This globally unique certification enables organisations to establish and lead dedicated threat management teams—often referred to as “employee care teams” or “workforce wellbeing units”. These teams proactively identify, assess, and manage behaviours that may pose a risk in the workplace including stalking, anonymous threats, product contamination, persistent and unreasonable complaints (querulant behaviour), extremist activities, and incidents of sexual harassment or violence.
Innovative Solutions for Modern Workplace Challenges
The new legal duty for UK employers, along with the ISO 31030:2021 requirements, underscores the growing expectations surrounding corporate duty of care. To help organisations meet these evolving legal responsibilities, Subrosa Group has developed two flagship programmes—PRISM™ (Program for Risk, Integrity, Safety, and Management) and SafeCompanion™ —designed to integrate with human resources strategies, policies, and procedures. These programmes assist clients in preventing workplace harassment, including third party harassment, through services such as:
- Conducting workplace harassment risk assessments
- Developing anti-harassment policies, including sexual harassment policies
- Raising employee awareness through equality, discrimination and harassment training • Providing manager training on prevention, response, and anti-harassment measures
- Implementing workplace violence prevention and behavioural risk management • Offering travel risk management solutions
- Protecting against cyber and physical stalking/harassment
Harnessing Technology for Employee Safety
Subrosa Group’s commitment to innovation extends to technology-driven solutions. In collaboration with a technology partner, the company has developed two state-of-the-art applications that enhance their employee safety programmes:
• PRISM App: Designed for workplace violence prevention and behavioural risk management, this dedicated victim support app assists employees facing concerning behaviour, harassment, or stalking. It includes geofencing, SOS alerts, and incident logging, to aid both preventative measures and legal action. 
• SafeCompanion Traveller Safety App: Offering real-time support, this app provides country-specific advice and automated check-in systems that trigger emergency protocols if employees fail to respond. SafeCompanion includes cultural and country briefs, area-specific safety and security alerts, geofencing, SOS capabilities, and more. 
Shaping a Safer Future for the Workplace
With decades of expertise and advanced technology, Subrosa Group is helping organisations tackle today’s complex safety challenges. By combining proven U.S. methodologies with tailored European and UK frameworks, the company is setting new standards in workplace safety, offering businesses robust, proactive solutions that ensure they meet their legal and ethical obligations.
“It’s encouraging to see UK and European organisations prioritising these critical safety measures,” says Burns. “For decades, U.S. companies have led the way in establishing these units. Now, Europe and the UK are catching up, and we’re proud to be leading the way.”
ENDS
For more information, or to request an interview with Subrosa Group CEO Niall Burns, please contact:
STATS/REFERENCES
1. According to recent figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), an estimated 2 million women in England and Wales are victims of violence perpetrated by men each year. This includes crimes such as stalking, harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence, which affect one in 12 women. Over the past five years, recorded offences have increased by 37%, with perpetrators becoming younger. The scale of this epidemic has led police chiefs to declare it a “national emergency.”
(https://the-european.eu/story-40281/on-the-line-womens-safety-goes-beyond-phones.html)
2. In Spring 2023, the Home Secretary announced Violence Against Women and Girls as a national threat, incorporating it into the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) alongside terrorism, serious and organised crime, and child sexual abuse.
(https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/our-work/vawg/vawg-framework-for-delivery.pdf)
3. New measures have been introduced to combat violence against women and girls, with the Home Secretary leading a cross government approach to tackle this critical issue. The initiative forms part of the broader mission to “take back our streets.”
(https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-set-out-to-combat-violence-against-women-and-girls)
4. Violence against women remains a priority for the EU, with one in three women across Europe having experienced gender-based violence in her lifetime. Furthermore, 75% of female professionals or managers have faced sexual harassment, and one in ten women has been harassed or stalked online. Despite progress, gender-based violence remains prevalent throughout Europe, as highlighted by Věra Jourová and Helena Dalli.
(https://www.euractiv.com/opinion/violence-against-women-a-priority-for-the-eu/)