We are committed to continually improving our health and safety performance and to ensuring that our employees and those who may be affected by our activities and operations do not have their health or safety influenced adversely. 

We seek to work with suppliers who have a similarly robust and dynamic approach.

Our Suppliers agree to comply with all health and safety rules and regulations and any other security, site or plant rules or requirements that apply at any of our sites.

Sustainability is central to our business, its purpose and its future vision. We want to play a part in delivering ‘net zero’. The sustainability of our supply chain are crucial and that is why we are committed to sustainable procurement.

We are committed to continually developing our approach to sustainability to ensure we are making a positive contribution. 

We expect our suppliers to minimise detrimental impacts on the environment and society, and to contribute positively towards good governance and environmental and social protection. We expect our suppliers to consider their impacts and undertake specific actions such as maximising energy efficiency, minimising waste and reducing their carbon footprint.

Modern slavery is a criminal offence and is a very real risk to our staff and much of our supply chain. We publish an annual modern slavery statement on our website and are committed to the eradication of modern slavery through positive action. 

We expect our suppliers to have and maintain their own policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and all applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, regulations and codes and to notify us as soon as it becomes aware of any breach or potential breach of such laws, regulations and codes, or of its own policies. 

We are staunchly against all forms of discrimination and any breach of workers’ rights. Suppliers shall make the following key commitments and, where relevant, have appropriate policies in place to ensure compliance by their employees:

•   Not to victimise, harass or discriminate against any employee or any contractual third party due to their sex, gender identity/expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, ethnicity or national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation, age or part-time status.

•   Hiring practices must include verification of workers’ legal right to work in the country and ensure that all mandatory documents to prove this are available.

•   To adhere to applicable laws relating to the minimum working age and not engage in the employment of child labour, directly or indirectly.

•   At a minimum, to meet the legal minimum wage across their workforce and to limit working hours to that required by national or local laws.

We are dedicated to providing a safe and secure workplace for all of our employees, and to prevent accidents to employees, customers and visitors. Our suppliers are expected to do the same. 

We take a zero-tolerance approach to bribery, corruption, and the facilitation of tax evasion. All suppliers will ensure in all of its relevant dealings that it will:

•   Comply, and procure that its employees, agents, sub-consultants, and subcontractors comply, with all applicable laws, regulations, and codes relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption including but not limited to the Bribery Act 2010 and the Criminal Finances Act 2017.

•   Comply with all legislative requirements in relation to the anti-facilitation of tax evasion, including (but not limited to) the Criminal Finances Act 2017 and the maintenance of adequate internal procedures to ensure compliance and the prevention of tax evasion.

•   Comply with all applicable competition laws, regulations, rules and codes and ensure it has measures in place to guarantee that any and all anticompetitive behaviour is forbidden within its business.

•   Notify us of any breach or potential breach of any competition, anti-bribery and corruption or anti-facilitation of tax evasion laws, regulations and codes and/or any breach of the relevant supplier’s own policies in relation to the same

Our Suppliers confirm that false information will not be given in the course of commercial negotiations. The confidentiality of information exchanged in the course of business must be respected and never shared outside of the supplier’s, used for illegal purposes or for individual gain.

We expect our suppliers to conduct themselves professionally and not to bring our company name into disrepute.

To the extent sensitive or personal data is shared in the course of business, our supplier’s will comply with all requirements of applicable data protection laws.

We are committed to the prompt payment of our supplier’s, in line with our payment terms. We expect our suppliers to pay their supply chain promptly and to ensure compliance, to the greatest extent possible, with their own contractual payment terms.

All suppliers should adhere to the above standards and, to the extent they apply to its contracts with Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd, to Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd standard purchase order terms. Suppliers should notify Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd at the engagement stage if they have any issues complying with these standards. 

Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd reserves the right to request further information from a Supplier relating to its compliance with any of the standards set out in this code of conduct. 

Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd shall be entitled to carry out audits to ensure any supplier’s continued compliance with the standards. Any supplier who breaches any of the standards set out herein will have appropriate action taken against them which may include termination of the relationship. 

To the extent any proven breach is criminal, Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd will work with the relevant authorities in relation to prosecution proceedings.

For any questions or concerns about this Code of Conduct, please contact the Operations & Finance Director of Whitfield Building Contractors Ltd.