Statement for the UK Modern Slavery Act
This statement has been prepared and published on behalf of Egmont for the financial year ended December 31, 2022, in accordance with the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Introduction to Egmont
Egmont is a leading Nordic media group focused on storytelling and journalism. More than 6,000 employees across 150 companies, primarily located in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, contribute through its four divisions: TV 2 (Norway), Nordisk Film, Story House Egmont, and Egmont Books. Egmont is a commercial foundation founded in 1878 with a dual purpose: to develop tomorrow’s media and to support vulnerable children and young people to an education and a better life. Egmont’s 2025 strategy is Grow with the Modern Consumer- Scale Up & Stand Out and has a focus on growth within TV streaming, digital books, games, agencies and e-commerce.
Egmont’s activities are varied, and the supply chains are equally varied and complex. Our approach to assessing this large variety of suppliers is based on where our assessment shows the greatest risk of labour exploitation may be found.
Egmont is committed to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC}, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Core Labour Standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Ensuring fair working conditions is an integral part of Egmont’s corporate culture. Egmont operates a number of policies to ensure that its companies are conducting business in a transparent and ethical manner and in compliance with relevant legislation, including Egmont’s Business Ethics Policy, Egmont’s Code of Conduct, Group Recruitment Policy and the Whistleblowing Policy.
All relevant Egmont employees are well-informed about the policies and rules of conduct and their rights through group-wide communication and training measures concerning Egmont’s Business Ethics Policy. During 2022, Egmont rolled out its annual refresher e-learning to all relevant employees. By the end of December 2022, 89% of the relevant employees had completed the 2022 training. Egmont has established comprehensive communication and speak-up channels that allow for the reporting of compliance violations, including potential human rights violations.
In addition, Egmont regularly conducts an employee survey addressing, inter alia, working conditions, harassment and employee satisfaction. If survey results indicate a need for improvement, appropriate measures are implemented. The most recent employee survey took place in November 2022.
Supply chain due diligence
Business partners and suppliers (and their subcontractors) are required to comply with Egmont’s Code of Conduct (or their own codes with at least the same requirements). The Code of Conduct sets Egmont’s requirements on labour standards within the supply chains of licensees and suppliers and includes the requirement for an appropriate remedy where workers’ rights have been breached.
Egmont’s Code of Conduct together with the Egmont Social Compliance Programme operationalizes Egmont’s efforts against modern slavery in supply chains.
The Egmont Social Compliance Programme requires social audits at first-tier/core suppliers based on a risk assessment of the country and sector they are in. Egmont operates with three country risk groups:
- Country Group 1: Suppliers are audited every 12 months.
- Country Group 2: Suppliers are audited every 12-24 months.
- Country Group 3: Suppliers are audited ad-hoc.
Egmont promotes a continuous improvement approach to supply chain management, acknowledging that not everyone is immediately able to meet our standards in full. However, we have a zero-tolerance approach to the most serious human rights abuses, as set out in our minimum standards.
If Egmont experiences or is made aware of an instance of modern slavery, this will be dealt with by the Corporate Legal & Legal Compliance team.
The impact of Covid-19 continued to be felt in many key sourcing countries during 2022 resulting in Egmont working with licensors, sub-licensees and suppliers to ensure that appropriate due diligence remained in place at impacted manufacturing sites. In-person audits continued where possible with extended deadlines being accepted where restrictions were in place.
This statement was approved by Egmont’s Board of directors and will be reviewed annually.
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Egmont International Holding A/S