Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement 2016

At Beiersdorf UK Ltd we believe that we should play an active role in making positive contributions to society. Beiersdorf UK Ltd acknowledges that as a global corporate citizen it has a responsibility to address and seek to eliminate the risk of slavery and human trafficking in its operations, as part of the respect that the company has for human rights, in line with the principles contained in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.

By this statement, we set out Beiersdorf UK Ltd’s commitment to taking steps to identify and eradicate slavery and human trafficking from its business and from its supply chains. We will not tolerate slavery and human trafficking either within the supply chain or within any part of Beiersdorf UK Ltd’s business. As required by the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, this statement reports on the steps Beiersdorf UK Ltd has taken in this regard during the financial year ended December 2016.

Beiersdorf UK Ltd is a part of a worldwide leading skin care company, producing major brands such as Nivea. An overview of where Beiersdorf UK Ltd fits within the global business, as well as details of the company’s core values and product brands appears in the online company profile. The supply chain for Beiersdorf UK Ltd is primarily based in Europe, with a few suppliers based in the Far East.

Beiersdorf UK Ltd employees are provided with a Code of Conduct for Employees. This is designed to help employees and managers to understand the company’s principles and to act in accordance with them. The Code states that we will not use or tolerate child labour or the use of slave labour.

Beiersdorf UK Ltd also has a Code of Conduct for Suppliers.  Among other things, this prohibits the use of forced labour and inappropriate disciplinary measures, and also prohibits child labour. Other minimum employee rights regarding working hours, remuneration and freedom of association are also covered.  Suppliers are required to accept the standards required by the Code of Conduct and to inform their employees. They agree that they will keep adequate records to demonstrate compliance and agree that Beiersdorf UK Ltd or its nominated representatives may make announced or unannounced inspections to suppliers’ premises to verify compliance. In 2016, 87% of the suppliers used by Beiersdorf UK Ltd were signed up to the Code of Conduct for Suppliers before they started supplying to Beiersdorf UK Ltd.

In 2016, Beiersdorf UK Ltd carried out a risk-assessment of all existing suppliers in relation to slavery and human trafficking. The majority of existing suppliers were assessed as low risk. In a few cases suppliers were identified as potentially high risk and these are being subjected to audit by a specialist external audit company. Monitoring the existing supplier base is a continuous process. Beiersdorf UK Ltd continues to work with existing suppliers to raise awareness and reduce the risk of slavery and human trafficking in its supply chains. In the event that any suppliers prove unwilling to work with us to address any issues that may arise, we will cease to use those suppliers.

A number of Beiersdorf UK Ltd staff working in the Supply Chain have attended training with an external consultant, which focused on the conduct of site audits with suppliers and recognition of potential risk factors for slavery and human trafficking.

Beiersdorf UK Ltd will review annually the steps it has taken to address the risks of slavery and human trafficking in its business and in its supply chain. The annual review will consider

• how effective the supplier risk assessment and audit processes have been in detecting and addressing risks;
• the extent of any risks detected and the steps taken to deal with them;
• the extent to which any additional risk assessment and audit processes may be required;
• any additional staff or supplier training or information requirements; and
• the effectiveness of the internal processes for reporting and escalation of issues.

This statement was approved by the Board of Beiersdorf UK Ltd on 8th June 2017. It is made in accordance with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Beiersdorf UK Ltd’s modern slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ended December 2016.

Signed

Paul Price - Country Manager UK

Michael Meier - Supply Chain Director Northern Europe

James Livesey - Finance Director Northern Europe

Steph Lewis - HR Director Northern Europe

Patrick Hoven - Marketing Director Northern Europe