Every commercial pilot is certified to fly by instruments. If this is correct this company wasn’t authorized to operate its helicopters under instrument required flight conditions. Meaning he wouldn’t get much instrument flying practice unless he paid for it himself or trained with a buddy who was paying for it.
An IFR rating is not legally required for a commercial pilot license though I would guess that 90+% of those employed do have such a rating. For example, numerous banner and glider towing pilots are employed without an IFR rating for obvious reasons.
“Every commercial pilot is certified to fly by instruments. “
Not true. A commercial license does not require it.
While highly recommended, an instrument cert is not required for a commercial rating.