The role of crew in preventing bullying and harassment on board – changes to the STCW Code

The prevention of bullying, harassment and sexual assault onboard remains a key topic in the yachting industry and wider maritime sector. Since 1 January 2026, the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code (theCode),¹ which governs seafarer training and certification, has required crew members to play their part in preventing such conduct.² Seafarers in scope of the STCW Code are now required to actively contribute to the prevention of violence and harassment at sea, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault.

The changes to the Code (contained in Table A-VI/1-4) introduce new mandatory competence requirements which will apply to seafarers undertaking Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR) training on or after 1 January 2026. The changes require seafarers to understand what conduct may constitute harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and violence and its effect on safety, health and wellbeing. Seafarers are also required to know how to respond (e.g., intervening where appropriate and safe to do so) and how to report such conduct. Additionally, seafarers are required to be aware of how factors such as abuse of power relationships, discrimination, stress, isolation, fatigue, and the use of drugs or alcohol can alter dynamics between crew members.

Whilst the yachting industry and wider maritime sector has faced criticism in the past for failing to adequately address inappropriate behaviour on board, it has been playing catch-up in recent years as more emphasis has been placed on implementing zero-tolerance policies and adequate procedures to prevent and address bullying and harassment. The changes to the Code represent a significant milestone in these efforts.

These developments are consistent with broader trends in employment law in many jurisdictions, including the UK and Australia. In the UK, since October 2024 employers have been under a proactive mandatory duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees. Further changes introduced by the UK Employment Rights Act 2025, coming into force in October 2026, will strengthen this duty even further, as employers will be required to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

In previous editions, we have discussed the consequences of allowing harassment and bullying to remain unchecked onboard, and particularly the impact of doing so on the physical and mental health of crew. Living and working in close proximity makes it hard to escape toxic working environments which can lead to reduced productivity, absenteeism and high turnover of crew, as well as legal and reputational risk. Proactive steps should therefore be taken to review and strengthen onboard sexual harassment and bullying policies, complaints procedures (a requirement for large commercial yachts and best practice for all other yachts) and training programmes to ensure crew are well versed in recognising unacceptable conduct and can be confident that such conduct will be dealt with swiftly if and when it occurs.

With our experienced employment team and wider sector knowledge of the yachting industry and its employment practices/operational constraints, we are well placed to assist you with any yacht related employment issues.

Anushka Patel, Trainee Solicitor, assisted with the preparation of this article.

Footnotes

1. Which forms part of the IMO STCW Convention, adopted in 1978.
2. International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978