Last updated: 23 September 2026
Everyone has the right to work without being harassed, bullied or made to feel unsafe. IRS Group does not tolerate harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, whether it happens in our offices, on a client's site or anywhere connected with work.
1. Who this policy covers
This policy protects and applies to our office staff, our temporary workers on assignment, candidates, and anyone else our people come into contact with through work, including client staff, contractors and visitors.
2. What we mean by harassment
- Harassment is unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic, such as sex, race, age, disability, religion or sexual orientation, which violates someone's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
- Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature with the same effect. It includes unwelcome comments or jokes, touching, sexual advances, displaying sexual images, and messages or posts of a sexual nature.
- Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or misuse of power, that undermines or humiliates someone.
What matters is the effect on the person receiving it, not whether it was meant as a joke.
3. How we prevent it
We take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, as the Equality Act 2010 requires. This includes:
- making this policy available to all workers and staff, and explaining it at registration and induction;
- training our office staff to recognise harassment and to handle reports properly;
- making clear to clients that we expect them to protect our workers from harassment on their sites;
- checking in with workers during assignments so they have the chance to raise concerns;
- reviewing any reports to see what we can do better.
4. How to report it
If you experience or witness harassment, please tell us. You can:
- speak to your IRS Group consultant or any manager at our Coventry or Dudley office;
- email info@irsgroup.co.uk, marked "Confidential";
- contact a director directly if the concern involves your usual contact at IRS Group.
If it happened on a client's site, you can report it to us as well as to the client. You do not have to raise it with the person involved first.
5. What we will do
- Listen to you, take your report seriously and keep it as confidential as possible.
- Agree with you what happens next, and investigate promptly and fairly.
- If the concern is about someone at a client's site, raise it with the client and make sure it is dealt with. Where needed, we will move you to another assignment at no loss to you if a suitable one is available.
- Offer support throughout, and keep you updated.
- Take action where harassment is found. For our own staff and workers this may include disciplinary action or ending assignments. For clients it may include withdrawing our workers.
6. No victimisation
Nobody will be treated unfairly, lose work or be victimised for reporting harassment or helping with an investigation in good faith.
7. More help
Free, confidential advice on harassment at work is available from Acas on 0300 123 1100. You can also read our Equal Opportunities Policy and Complaints Procedure.
8. Review
This policy is approved by the directors and reviewed at least once a year.