We operate the following policies that assist our approach to the identification of modern slavery risks and identify steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our operations:
Speak Up Policy (Whistleblower)
We encourage all our employees and partner employees to Speak Up if they witness conduct which appears to breach laws, regulations or Southern Water's Code of Business Conduct policies, they should also Speak Up if they see conduct which feels inappropriate or unethical.
Our Code of Ethics: Doing the Right Thing
We clearly define the behaviours we expect from our employees and how we should make ethical decisions and operate our business responsibly. It is more than just a set of rules. It explains how we follow our values and key policies. It represents our commitment to doing the right thing
Our Responsible Business commitments
We set out the various ways we demonstrate our commitment to being a responsible business and what we will do to achieve this.
Sustainable and Ethical Trading Policy
Our policy on sustainable and ethical trading expands on our Responsible Business commitments. As part of our formal pre- qualification questionnaire, we assess our suppliers against these standards and request that they adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct. We will either agree suitable remedial actions or apply proportionate contractual remedies for non-compliance of existing suppliers.
Supply Chain Code of Conduct
As an extension of our business, we expect our suppliers to be equally committed to our values, comply with all applicable local laws and regulations, and respect internationally recognised human and labour rights. This code sets out the core principles we expect all of our supply chain to comply with when doing business with us. It is aligned to our Sustainable and Ethical Trading Policy.
This Policy Statement will be reviewed and published annually. A full copy of this policy, and a copy of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is accessible to all employees electronically and can be obtained from the HR department upon request.