Supplier ethics
Code of Ethical Purchasing
Our Code of Ethical Purchasing (CEP) sets out the standards we expect of suppliers. This covers issues including human rights, labour standards, environmental management, and bribery and corruption.
All suppliers we work with must be fully compliant with our Code of Ethical Purchasing at all times.
We continue to monitor compliance and promote improved performance through our supplier performance management system, focusing particularly on high-risk and strategic suppliers.
Our supply chain employees are required to complete CEP refresher training annually as part of their personal objectives so that they can communicate it effectively to our suppliers.
Our ethics
Sustainability
Supply Chain employees complete annual training specifically on anti-corruption and competition law. Our supplier performance managers are trained to identify non-compliances, such as unsafe working practices, whenever they are on site.
Sustainability questions also make up 10% of the scorecard which we use to evaluate the overall performance of key global suppliers every a year.
Scores are reviewed by our supply chain team who make recommendations and work with suppliers to put in place improvement plans that address any issues identified. The scorecard criteria is updated and strengthened on a regular basis to continuously raise standards and improve supplier performance. Follow-up assessments or on-site audits are conducted where necessary to check improvements have been made as planned.
Supplier scorecard
Sustainability questions in the supplier scorecard cover:
- Commitment to the CEP
- Public reporting of their performance on labour, environment, and health and safety issues
- Certification of environmental management systems to ISO 14001 or EMAS standards
- Certification of labour management systems to SA8000 or equivalent standards
- Certification of health and safety management systems to OHSAS 18001
- Evidence that the supplier manages labour, environment, and health and safety issues in its own supply chain
- Evidence that the supplier manages the risks and opportunities associated with climate change
- Evidence of steps to manage and prevent bribery and corruption
- Adoption of a common industry approach (such as E-TASC, an industry tool to manage supply chain standards effectively and efficiently (see raising standards throughout the supply chain)
Anti-bribery
Vodafone’s Business Principles, part of our Code of Conduct, help to ensure that all of our business dealings are undertaken with honesty, integrity and fairness.
Anyone engaging in bribery and corruption may be subject to fines, sanctions and imprisonment under laws in the Bribery Act (UK), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (USA) and similar laws in other jurisdictions.
We expect our suppliers and business partners to operate a zero-tolerance policy in relation to bribery and corruption, as we do within our own business, something we implement through our compliance programme.
Our suppliers also need to be aware and respect the fact that we operate a ‘No Gift’ policy and any inappropriate hospitality will be refused.
Our ‘Speak Up’ programme for suppliers provides an anonymous and confidential whistle-blowing mechanism to raise incidents of unethical behaviour for investigation. Details of how to do this can be found in our Speak Up section and in our Code of Conduct.
Speak Up
We operate a whistle-blowing mechanism called "Speak Up" for all employees, suppliers and business partners to report any unethical behaviour for investigation.
It’s the duty of our suppliers, contractors, business partners and employees to report any breach of our Code of Conduct, including dishonesty, corruption, fraud, labour and human rights concerns, environmental damage or any other unethical behaviour.
A report can be made by contacting our independent third party on:
- Phone hotline on +44 (0)1249 661 795 [international] or 0800 374199 [from the UK], or
- Online web report - go to EthicsPoint - Vodafone
Customer service complaints
If you have a customer service issue, please select your relevant market and use the appropriate help and support contact details.
Policies and requirements for suppliers to Vodafone
Suppliers working with Vodafone must comply with Vodafone's policies and requirements. Find out more about our requirements.