MEPs have been warned not to pinch or rub against their staff or indulge in pornography, exhibitionism or voyeurism in the European Parliament in a guidebook to stop them being accused of sexual harassment by their assistants.

The official booklet is accompanied by a poster campaign in the parliament to convince handsy MEPs to leave their staff alone. The posters are positioned outside voting chambers and in canteens, although one source observed they would “be better placed in the members’ bars”.

Zero Harassment in the Workplace: A Guide for Members of the European Parliament was published after more than a dozen female aides made a string of allegations against MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg after the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The accusations of groping and stalking sparked a passionate debate in the parliament among mostly female MEPs, as the #metoo campaign against sexual harassment hit headlines across the world.

The flyer, which depicts a suited man with his head in his hands on the cover, includes common sense advice such as not to offer promotions in exchange for sex or force “deliberate unwanted kisses” on assistants.