Watchdog warning | IKEA told to improve its response to employee sexual harassment complaints

Ikea has signed a legal agreement with the EHRC amid concerns over how it has handled sexual harassment complaints made by a UK worker.

The legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commits the Swedish homeware and furniture giant to a number of measures to better protect workers in the UK and is likely to last until August 2025.

The EHRC first contacted IKEA in February 2022 after being made aware of an allegation of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. Reports indicated that these allegations were not appropriately handled by management at one of their UK stores.

The watchdog will monitor the companys’s compliance with the agreement, to ensure all actions are completed within the agreed timescales and can use its legal powers as a regulator to enforce the action plan.