Reporting, complaints and appeals

ApplySafer lets people publish reviews of employers, employers reply to them and post job adverts. This page explains how we protect people from illegal and harmful content, how anyone can report something, and how to complain about or appeal a decision we make. It forms part of our Terms.

How to report something

Use the Report link on every review thread (which covers the replies in it) and every job advert. To report a reply, report the review thread and say which reply in the details. You do not need an account. Choose the reason that fits best:

• Illegal content — threats, harassment or stalking, hate, fraud or a scam, terrorism, child sexual exploitation, intimate image abuse, or anything else you believe is illegal;
• Discriminatory job advert — for example one that excludes people by age, sex, race or disability;
• A job advert asking applicants to pay anything;
• Personal information or privacy — for example a review that names or identifies someone;
• Breaks our rules in some other way.

Defamation is not one of the report reasons. If a review says something untrue that harms your reputation, the report form links you to our statutory complaint form instead, because that process has legal timescales of its own.

You can also report by email to safety@applysafer.com, saying what the content is and where it appears. Give an email address if you want to hear what we did.

What happens next

• A person reviews every report within two business days.
• Reports suggesting a risk to someone's life or safety, or involving a child, are dealt with as soon as we see them, and we tell the police, the National Crime Agency or the Internet Watch Foundation where the law requires or it is needed to protect someone.
• When we become aware of illegal content we remove it swiftly.
• A job advert reported by three different people (counted by connection, not by name) is taken offline automatically until we have reviewed it, so a scam or discriminatory advert does not stay up while we look. The employer sees in their dashboard that it was taken offline and why.
• We may also remove content that breaks our rules, refuse future posts, or suspend or close an account, especially for repeated or serious breaches.
• If you gave an email address, a person will reply to tell you the outcome.
• Where we remove or restrict someone's content or account we tell them what we did and why — in their account or by email — unless the law prevents it or it would compromise an investigation.

How we keep illegal content off ApplySafer

• Every review is read by a person before it is published, and can be refused.
• Reviews come only from candidate accounts; employers cannot review companies.
• Job adverts can be posted only by someone verified as representing the company, who must confirm the advert is genuine, lawful, non-discriminatory and free of any charge to applicants. Adverts are screened automatically for discriminatory requirements, requests for payment, pyramid schemes and contact details, and refused if they fail.
• Replies in a company's name need a stronger form of company verification.
• Posts containing email addresses, phone numbers, or links to messaging apps and some social profiles are refused.
• There is no private messaging, no image or video upload and no way for strangers to contact candidates.
• Accounts are for people aged 16 or over.

Complaints and appeals

You can complain to us if:

• we removed or refused your review, reply or job advert, or restricted or suspended your account, and you think we were wrong;
• we did not remove something you reported, or did not deal with your report properly or in time;
• you think we are not meeting our duties under the Online Safety Act 2023; or
• you think our automated screening of job adverts treated you unfairly.

Email safety@applysafer.com with what happened and, if you can, a link or the reference we gave you. We acknowledge your complaint within two business days and give you a decision, with reasons, within ten business days. A different person from the one who made the original decision looks at an appeal wherever we can arrange it. If we got it wrong, we restore the content or account and tell you. Making a complaint never affects how we treat you.

If you think we are not meeting our duties under the Online Safety Act, you can tell Ofcom, the regulator (Ofcom does not decide individual complaints, but uses what it is told to supervise services). You keep any right to go to court.

Free expression and privacy

Honest, first-hand accounts of work — including critical ones — are what ApplySafer exists for, and we do not remove lawful reviews because an employer dislikes them or because anyone offers to pay. When we act on content we take account of the right to freedom of expression and the privacy of the people involved, including the anonymity of reviewers.

Who is responsible

ApplySafer is run by Nikah AI Ltd (company number 17199968). The person accountable for our online safety duties is Usman Khan, director. We review our illegal content risk assessment at least every twelve months and before any significant change to how ApplySafer works. Report records are kept for 24 months after they are resolved.