IKEA UK has agreed to review its sexual harassment policy after receiving a complaint from a former employee.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was made aware of an allegation of sexual assault and harassment at an Ikea store. It was also made aware that the allegation was not handled appropriately by the management at the store.
The agreement commits IKEA to reviewing the way it deals with sexual harassment and meeting its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. The act includes a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment of staff, and IKEA will have to work with a specialist external law partner to review its policies and processes.
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IKEA will also have to provide training for human resources staff and all line managers for how to handle situations involving sexual harassment. The agreement is expected to last until August 2025.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, said: “No matter how big or small, every employer is responsible for protecting its workforce and sexual harassment should not be tolerated. As Britain’s equality regulator we help employers to understand the law and we take action to prevent it from being breached.
“In signing this agreement, Ikea UK has taken an important step towards ensuring their staff are better protected from harassment.”
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