This statement is made pursuant to Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It outlines BI WORLDWIDE’s exposure to slavery and human trafficking and shows the steps we have taken to ensure that these practices are not taking place in our own business or in our supply chains.

This statement is reviewed annually and was last updated in March 2021.

About BI WORLDWIDE
BI WORLDWIDE is one of Newport Pagnell’s largest employers and has approximately 170 people working from its office in the town. The company enjoys a reputation for being a thought leader in performance improvement and employee engagement, and is one of the foremost event management companies in the UK. 

Unsurprisingly, therefore, the business operates in a culture that is open and inclusive and in which employees have a big say in local working conditions and practices.

The business is committed to paying its employees fairly, to promoting diversity in its workforce, and to encouraging internal progression. BI WORLDWIDE works hard to be a good neighbour and to contribute to the local community by encouraging its employees to undertake voluntary work in company time.

BI WORLDWIDE’s Exposure to Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
The bulk of BI WORLDWIDE’s business is conducted in the UK and Western Europe working with blue-chip clients to engage and motivate their workforces. This is not an industry with a high risk of modern-day slavery or human trafficking. However, BI WORLDWIDE is part of a global organisation and is exposed to working with suppliers and employee groups which are not subject to the same regulatory regimes as those operating domestically. Additionally, our events business works globally and is exposed to the use of local suppliers and local technical resource.

So, although we do not believe that the risk of exposure to modern-day slavery or human trafficking is high, it seems appropriate to assess the risks on an individual contract basis.

BI WORLDWIDE’s People Policies
BI WORLDWIDE operates a suite of policies designed to promote engagement and wellbeing among all its employees. Employees are rewarded for demonstrating the company’s values and employees contribute to defining the types of behaviour that we encourage at work. We strive to ensure fair treatment of all employees, and members of the company’s leadership team are always available to people with questions or feedback.

Remuneration levels and policies are reviewed annually and pay rates are regularly benchmarked against similar roles in the local area. The company complies with all applicable employment legislation, monitors any gender pay gap issues, and conducts annual pay reviews.

Line managers and all employees involved in recruiting employees are required to attend training designed to ensure fair and consistent application of all BI WORLDWIDE's people policies.

The company works with a team of IT developers based in India. This team is employed and managed by BIW’s Indian operation and there are robust processes in place to ensure that working conditions and remuneration policies are sound.

BI WORLDWIDE's Supply Chain
Wherever possible, BI WORLDWIDE contracts with established suppliers, many of whom have their own obligation to publish statements in accordance with the Act. In these cases, we monitor these statements.

For all material contracts, BI WORLDWIDE enters relationships only with reputable organisations and follows a comprehensive due diligence process. This includes an online search to ensure that no organisation is added to the preferred supplier list if it has been convicted of offences relating to modern slavery. Adherence to our Corporate Social Responsibility policy is also a requirement of our suppliers. All suppliers are required to confirm that they:

• Do not use forced or compulsory labour.
• Do not employ children
• Do not discriminate based on culture, nationality, gender, religion, political or union activities, physical appearances, career paths, age, health, gender identification, or sexual orientation.
• Comply with legal requirements in relation to minimum remuneration and working hours.
• Have with their own suppliers an agreement similar to this

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in source and supply, we provide appropriate training to our staff. This is focused on but not limited to staff involved in Reward purchasing.

For small value and local contracts, there is no formal process. However, the organisation is well-connected locally and would expect to become aware of any adverse publicity regarding local suppliers. Occasionally, our events team will contract with smaller, local suppliers when operating outside the UK. In these cases, recommendations are sought from representation companies, larger in-location partners, known third parties or clients.