How corruption is tackled at Marshalls

Being a responsible business means doing the right things, for the right reasons, in the right way. That’s the Marshalls Way. In a year that has seen so much disruption and change, it’s been really important to us to stay connected to our values as a business.

I’m really proud to say we’ve been signatories to the UN Global Compact since 2009. Part of our commitment is adopting the UNGC’s principles under the pillars of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

According to the World Economic Forum*, corruption has been rife during the global pandemic. At Marshalls, we’ve worked hard to build a culture of trust and this summer, we launched our Code of Conduct – and it applies to our people as much as it does to our suppliers, our partners and our stakeholders.

The Code of Conduct covers different areas of our business that demonstrate our commitment to creating better places for everyone – from paying a Living Wage and respecting human rights, to protecting the environment to create better spaces for everyone. It also covers the way we do business.

Ethical and Sustainable Procurement

We’ll only do business with responsible suppliers and contractors who can demonstrate a clear understanding of their supply chains and a commitment to quickly making things right when they go wrong. We insist on robust monitoring of processes and procedures and, where the rights of others have been breached, swift and meaningful resolutions are delivered.

Anti-Bribery and Corruption

Our Anti-Bribery Code sets out our definition of bribes and the different ways bribes can be evident in business. We have a Serious Concerns Policy which is based on our commitment to creating a working environment where everybody feels able to raise legitimate concerns about any wrong-doing without fear of criticism, discrimination or reprisal.

Safecall

Last year, we launched Safecall in the UK – our independent whistleblowing service which enables any of our people, contractors, suppliers and other stakeholders to raise their concerns. Safecall is in place to enhance a culture of openness and demonstrate that malpractice is taken seriously and dealt with at the highest level. We are now extending the use of Safecall to supplier operations in India, China, Vietnam and Brazil.