Purpose
Verto is committed to conducting business ethically and responsibly, with a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in all its forms, including forced labor, human trafficking, servitude, and child labor. The purpose of this Modern Slavery Policy is to outline our commitment to preventing modern slavery within our operations and supply chains, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and promoting fair, safe, and ethical working conditions globally.
Scope
This policy applies to all entities within the Verto Group, including all subsidiaries, affiliates, and operations worldwide. It encompasses all employees, contractors, suppliers, and business partners engaged with the Verto Group, regardless of geographic location. The policy sets forth our expectations for ethical conduct and due diligence to identify, prevent, and mitigate any risks of modern slavery across our global operations and supply chains.
Definition of Modern Slavery
Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation in which a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. It includes a range of exploitation including human trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced labour, debt bondage, domestic servitude, criminal activities, child labour, child sexual exploitation and forced and early marriage.
Our Commitment
Verto has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery. We are dedicated to:
Ensuring our operations and supply chains are free from modern slavery and human trafficking.
Complying with all relevant laws, including but not limited to the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Promoting ethical and sustainable business practices.
Protecting the human rights of all individuals involved in or impacted by our operations.
Our Practices
To uphold our commitment, we:
Perform risk assessments to identify and address potential risks of modern slavery in our operations and supply chains.
Require suppliers and business partners to adhere to anti-slavery and human trafficking principles, including through contractual obligations and supplier codes of conduct.
Provide training, via this policy, to employees and relevant stakeholders to recognize and prevent modern slavery.
Responsibilities
Leadership: Senior management is responsible for ensuring the implementation of this policy and promoting a culture of ethical behavior.
Employees: All employees are expected to comply with this policy and report any concerns related to modern slavery or human trafficking.
Suppliers and Partners: Suppliers and business partners must demonstrate compliance with anti-slavery standards and cooperate with our due diligence processes.
Responsibilities
We encourage all employees, suppliers, and stakeholders to report any suspicions or evidence of modern slavery or human trafficking. Reports can be made to the Compliance team or via our whistleblowing channels. We will investigate all reports promptly and take appropriate action. You will not suffer any detrimental treatment as a result of reporting any genuine concerns, raised in good faith, under this policy. This applies, even if after investigation, they are found to be mistaken.
Review
This policy will be reviewed annually or as required to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with legal and ethical standards.