Company policies

These policies apply to Industrial Telecom Ltd, trading as Industel. Last reviewed September 2026.

Modern slavery statement

We do not tolerate slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, or human trafficking, either in our own business or in our supply chain. We publish this statement voluntarily in the spirit of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Our business and supply chain

We are a software development and IT services company based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Our work is carried out by our own employees and contractors. Our main suppliers provide computer hardware, software licences, cloud and hosting services, telecommunications, and office services.

We recognise that the manufacture of electronic equipment is an area where forced labour is a known risk, so that is where we focus our attention.

Our people

• Everyone who works for us is treated fairly and equally, and is paid at least the National Minimum Wage
• We carry out right-to-work checks on everyone we employ
• Nobody is expected, or will be forced, to work more hours than the law allows. Normal working hours do not exceed an average of 48 a week unless the employee agrees
• We have zero tolerance of any threat of physical or sexual violence, harassment or intimidation against our employees or their families
• All new staff and contractors are made aware of this policy, and agree to abide by it as part of joining us
• We publish this policy and remind all staff of it periodically
• Modern slavery training is available free of charge to any member of staff who wants it. They just need to ask a line manager or director

Our suppliers

• We expect our suppliers to meet all of their legal duties as employers
• We carry out modern slavery checks when we take on a new supplier, and when we review existing ones. We ask for evidence of each supplier's modern slavery policy, and review it to establish how committed they are to monitoring and reducing the risk of slavery and human trafficking in their own supply chain
• We buy hardware from established manufacturers and authorised distributors, rather than unverified sources
• When a supplier's circumstances change significantly, for example if it is taken over, we reassess the risk. Where there are reasonable grounds to suspect a problem, we act. That can include insisting the supplier changes its practices, requiring additional training, or ending the contract

Reporting a concern

Staff should report any concern to their line manager, or to a director if they feel that is not possible. They can do so in confidence, without fear of consequences.

Anyone else with a concern about modern slavery connected with our business can email helpdesk@industel.co.uk, or contact the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline on 08000 121 700.

Environmental policy

Our direct environmental impact is modest. We are an office-based business, and most of our footprint comes from electricity, computer equipment, hosting and travel. We aim to reduce each of these, and to meet or exceed the environmental law that applies to us.

What we commit to

• Recycling at the office. Lasyard House has collection bins for paper, plastic, ink cartridges and metals. Recyclable waste goes in those, not in general waste
• Old equipment. We keep hardware in service for as long as it is secure and useful, and repair or reuse it where we can. Equipment we write off, such as old computers and sensors, often contains rare metals, so it is collected and taken to the recycling centre in Bridgnorth
• Paper. We avoid printing, and work with electronic documents wherever we can
• Travel. Staff work from home where they can. When an office meeting is needed, journeys are staggered to avoid rush-hour traffic. We meet clients online when that works just as well, and travel when being there in person makes a real difference
• Power. Computers and peripherals are switched off when they are not needed
• Cloud and hosting. We size servers and cloud services, including our AWS instances, to what a system actually needs. Unused instances are powered down, and instances that are no longer needed are deleted
• Software. Efficient software uses less energy, whether it runs on a server or on a phone. We treat efficiency as part of good engineering, not an optional extra
• Suppliers. Environmental performance is one of the things we take into account when we choose suppliers

We make our own products the same way. This website, for example, loads nothing from third parties and sends visitors as little data as it can.

Who is responsible

Everyone who works for us is responsible for recycling, printing, travel and power day to day. Whoever owns a cloud instance is responsible for powering it down or deleting it. Management reminds staff of this policy regularly and asks for ideas to improve it, and the directors review it at least once a year.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, because they are good practice and they make business sense. We are committed to equal opportunity, and to a workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We do not discriminate, and we do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or victimisation by anyone who works with us.

Who it covers

This policy covers job applicants, employees, contractors and anyone else who works for us. It also covers how we deal with clients, suppliers and members of the public.

What it means

In line with the Equality Act 2010, we do not treat anyone less favourably because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

• Decisions about staff are based on merit, apart from the limited exemptions and exceptions the Equality Act allows where they are genuinely necessary
• Training, development and progression are open to all staff. We help and encourage everyone to develop their full potential, so their talents are put to full use
• We make reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and staff, including during recruitment
• We apply the same principles to the software we build, which we design to be accessible to as many people as possible

Bullying, harassment and victimisation

We aim for a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination. It should promote dignity and respect for everyone, and recognise and value individual differences and what every member of staff contributes.

• Staff should understand that they, as well as the company, can be held liable for bullying, harassment, victimisation or unlawful discrimination against colleagues, customers, suppliers or the public in the course of their work
• We take complaints seriously, whether they come from employees, customers, suppliers, visitors or members of the public. Nobody will be victimised for raising a concern in good faith
• We deal with these acts as misconduct under our grievance and disciplinary procedures, and take appropriate action. Particularly serious cases can amount to gross misconduct, and lead to dismissal without notice
• Sexual harassment can be a criminal matter as well as an employment one, for example where there is an allegation of sexual assault. Harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is also a criminal offence, and it is not limited to harassment related to a protected characteristic

Training, monitoring and review

• We train managers and all other staff on their rights and responsibilities under this policy. Those responsibilities include conducting themselves in a way that helps us provide equal opportunities, and prevents bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination
• We review our employment practices and procedures when necessary to make sure they are fair, and update them and this policy when the law changes
• We monitor how this policy, and any action plan supporting it, work in practice. We review them every year, and act on any issues we find

This policy is fully supported by senior management.

Raising a concern

Staff have a responsibility to report any concern, about themselves or about a colleague, to their line manager, or to a director if they feel that is not possible. Anyone else can contact us at helpdesk@industel.co.uk or on 01746 740050.

Review

The directors of Industrial Telecom Ltd are responsible for these policies. We review them at least once a year, and whenever our business changes in a way that affects them.