Protecting human rights throughout the value chain

An essential part of our vision to revolutionise care for people is promoting and ensuring respect for human and labour rights in all of our stakeholder relationships. This commitment is formalised through the Human Rights policy and position statement. When referring to human rights, Mölnlycke takes into consideration internationally recognised human rights as set out by the United Nations (the “UN”), the International Labour Organisation (the “ILO”), the European Union, and applicable national laws.

This includes, but is not limited to, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the ILO Declaration on the Fundamental principles and Rights at Work. Mölnlycke has also been a signatory to the UN Global Compact since 2017 and recognises its ten principles. Mölnlycke endorses the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (the “OECD”) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Mölnlycke is committed to uphold human rights and combat modern slavery and human trafficking in all its activities and prohibits forced, compulsory or coerced labour, child labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, servitude, exploitation, trafficking of people, harassment and discrimination. Mölnlycke protects the right to fair working conditions, the freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and the right to a safe and hygienic workplace.  

  • Mölnlycke is committed to conducting its activities in a responsible manner and with respect for the human rights across its operations.

    Mölnlycke has been signatory to the UN Global Compact since 2017 and is committed to avoid causing or contributing to adverse impacts on people – whether in our own company, through our business partners, or in the communities where we operate.

    When referring to human rights we take into consideration, at a minimum, the International Bill of Human Rights. It includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We endorse the principles of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and implement our commitment to respect human rights via our Code of Conduct, and through the development and implementation of other internal procedures and processes.

    The responsibility to implement our human rights commitments is anchored in our Business Ethics and Compliance team, under the Legal Department. It is further supported by the relevant functions People, Supply Chain, Operations, Sustainability and it is overseen by a Human Rights Committee with representatives from the ELT.

    We work actively to ensure that our commitment to operating with respect for human rights is integrated into relevant policies, processes, and ways of working, as well as in interactions with our stakeholders.

    We have included human rights questions in our due diligence procedures and we continuously consolidate our efforts to identify, assess, and take action on the human rights impacts of our business activities and relationships. We demand the same high standard and responsible behaviour from our business partners, suppliers as well as distributors, and integrate this in dedicated reference documents such as Supplier Code of Conduct and Distributor Code of Conduct.

    Distributor Code of conduct

    Mölnlycke has an available human right grievance mechanism through the use of its Ethics Hotline, which can be used by all to report concerns on any human rights issues related to Mölnlycke and its activities. In cases where we may be directly linked to adverse impacts, we commit to work with the other party involved to provide remedy.

     

We operate in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It defines human rights as the internationally recognised human rights including labour rights as stated in the International Bill of Human Rights and in the
International Labour Organisation’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

We have a set of relevant policies and programs in place to ensure that human rights are respected, including:

  • Code of Conduct, which includes anti-discrimination and antiharassment, anti-corruption and anti-bribery topics
  • Sustainability policy.

We also have a program for compliance with competition law, as well as targeted training on business ethics and compliance risks, including bribery and corruption risks.

Each year we produce a ‘Statement on slavery and human trafficking’. It states key policies, due diligence processes, how ongoing risks are managed and monitors effectiveness and training in this area over the last financial year.

Norwegian Transparency Act 2023

Read Mölnlycke's statement according to the Norwegian Transparency Act and contact us for any information requests.

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We have zero tolerance for any type of discriminatory behaviour and harassment, human trafficking or any type of forced labour. Clear management procedures are in place in all countries where we operate to ensure that employees are treated fairly, according to ethical standards, and in accordance with applicable regulations. We work in close collaboration with unions and local representatives to continuously ensure safe and respectful workplaces.

We expect our partners to act in the same responsible and ethical way. Our Supplier Code of Conduct is designed to ensure responsible business operations and respect for human rights in the supply chain, including human rights, employee relations and health and safety. Compliance with these principles is a key factor when choosing suppliers and business partners. If any issues of concern are identified, we work with the partner to investigate those issues and, where necessary, encourage the development of higher standards. If the partner does not change behaviour, we will move away from using them whenever possible.

We continually monitor our efforts to meet our own standards, as well as the needs and expectations of our customers and stakeholders. We report annually on our progress to the UN Global Compact. All reporting, including disclosure on human rights, connected communities, working conditions, discrimination and harassment in our operations, and modern slavery at the company level, is carried out in accordance with local reporting requirements on non-financial information.

The company’s commitment is led from the top. The Executive Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring that we operate in line with our core values, including the commitment to respect human rights. The day-to-day responsibility for Mölnlycke's human rights performance lies with the People function, which works intensively together with all the business areas and other functions.

Read how we work with our business partners

RAISING CONCERNS

Mölnlycke Ethics Hotline

The Ethics Hotline enables internal and external stakeholders to report concerns and grievances or any other suspected violations of laws, policies and procedures or inappropriate behaviour. Topics of reports can include issues such as, but not limited to, fraud, corruption, working environment issues and discrimination.

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