Modern Day Slavery Notice

Purpose

This statement sets out Touch Associates actions to understand all potential modern slavery risks related to its business and to put in place steps that are aimed at ensuring that there is no slavery or human trafficking in its own business and its supply chains.

This statement relates to actions and activities during the financial year 1^st January 2023 to 31^st December 2023.

Scope

Applies to all employees, suppliers & 3^rd party agents of Touch.

Policy Statement

According to the International Labour Organisation, more than 20 million people worldwide are subjected to forced labour. We do not tolerate forced labour either within our business itself or within our supply chain. We expect our supply chain (whether direct suppliers or those that directly or indirectly supply our direct suppliers) to share the same values.

Touch Associates is absolutely committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in all of its corporate activities, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.

Business & Structure

Each office location works collaboratively in real-time across the globe through shared systems, infrastructure and processes. Account teams report upwards to Operational Leads who report to global Associate Directors and ultimately the Board of Directors.

The principle nature of our business is to design, create and touch every aspect of an event, communication or digital campaign. We define the strategy, source the venue, manage the logistics, create amazing content, build immersive digital experiences and handle all AV production… and we do it all with a single purpose: to maximise the impact of audience engagement.

Relevant Policies

Touch Associates operates the following policies that describe its approach to the identification of modern slavery risks and steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in its operations:

• Whistleblowing policy Touch encourages all its workers, suppliers and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, the company. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. Touch’s whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for workers to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation.
• Anti-Bribery & Corruption policy Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs. Acts of bribery or corruption are designed to influence the individual in the performance of their duty and incline them to act dishonestly and could result in the acceptance of forced labour and human trafficking for financial gain. Touch encourages all its workers, suppliers and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, the company. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. Touch’s whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for workers to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation.
• Employee workplace conduct Touch’s code makes clear to employees the actions and behaviour expected of them when representing the organisation. The organisation strives to maintain the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behaviour when operating abroad and managing its supply chain.

 

Due Diligence

We comply, at a minimum, with workers’ wages and hour regulations, including those related to minimum wages, overtime hours, piece rates and other elements of compensation. We provide all legally mandated benefits.

We engage only with suppliers who comply with laws regarding eradication of human trafficking and slavery. In our suppliers’ vetting process, we simply do not engage with a supplier which does not agree to adhere to these laws; if we are in doubt, we simply do not engage. In our Code of Ethics all employees are encouraged to report suspected violations of the Code and our policies to their line manager or human resources, as appropriate.

When on boarding suppliers they must contractually agree to our Terms and Conditions under which both we and our suppliers aim to comply with the Directives of the UN Initiative Global Compact as well as the principles and rights set out in the International Labour Organisation’s “Declaration of fundamental principles and rights at work” – and, in particular, to the principles of preserving dignity at work, human rights, bans on child and forced labour, and the maintenance of adequate social working conditions. When agreeing to our Terms and Conditions our suppliers also agree to aim to bind contractually their sub-contractors to similar provisions.

We have reviewed our business and our supply chain. Neither we nor, to the best of our knowledge, any organisation within our supply chain (whether a direct or an indirect supplier) makes use of forced labour. We have taken the following steps to assess and manage any risk in this regard:

• We expect our suppliers to comply with the contract Terms and Conditions and to impose similar requirements on their suppliers.

 

Training

Touch requires all employees within the Company to complete training on modern slavery within the company’s wider human rights/ethics/ethical trade training programme.