Modern Slavery Statement

Modern Slavery Statement Brief & purpose

Our company existence is not lonely; it’s part of a bigger system of people, values, other organisations, and nature. The social responsibility of our business is to give back to the world just as it gives to us and, to protect and nurture the natural and human elements within it, and we are guided by the ten principles of the UN Global Compact.

We take our responsibility to prevent modern slavery and trafficking within our supply chain and operations, seriously.

Scope

This policy applies to our company and its subsidiaries. It may also refer to suppliers and partners.

Our status, operations and supply chain

  • Washstation is registered as a private limited company in England and Wales number 11984879
  • We operate in the UK and Republic of Ireland and employ 21 permanent staff.
  • We have a small number of suppliers, most of whom we have worked with since 2010 and we have long-standing, trusted and transparent relationships with them. Our suppliers are mainly UK-based businesses and, of those that are not; our core equipment supplier is headquartered in Spain, we purchase some components from China and, our developers are headquartered in Eastern Europe.

Current procurement policy and processes

  • Onboarding of new suppliers is carried out by members of our senior management team.
  • New suppliers are risk assessed on a case-by-case basis for evidence that their location or operations may give cause for concern regarding slavery and/or human trafficking. We use the Global Slavery Index as a reference to help us identify potential issues geographically.
  • If we are uncertain about a new supplier, we will contact the supplier directly for details on their labour arrangements.
  • We keep every partnership and collaboration open and transparent in regard to our policies.

Current employment practices We want to be a responsible business that meets the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. In doing so, we:

  • Respect the laws of England and Wales.
  • Ensure that all employees evidence their entitlement to work in the UK and hold a UK bank account in their name.
  • Are compliant with the legislative requirements of both the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage.
  • Ensure that each employee, subcontractor, or agent of the company has clear written terms and conditions of service in a formal contract; containing provisions on the nature of the employment, the freedom to leave and, what happens on termination of work.
  • Distribute to all employees, a handbook that contains guidance and information on our values and our policies.

Our objectives for the next 12 months

  • We intend to create a formal review process for every supplier and to conduct these every three years.