Modern Slavery Statement For Fiscal Year 2022
Warner Music Group is committed to conducting business ethically and upholding basic human rights in all its operations. At WMG, we are both complying with the UK’s Modern Slavery Act and taking steps as a company to support their effort in eliminating human trafficking. WMG and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to, Warner Chappell Music Limited, Warner Music UK Limited, WMIS Limited, Parlophone Records Limited, and Warner Music International Services Limited, are implementing the following measures to support our zero-tolerance policy for modern slavery and human trafficking anywhere in our operations and supply chain, including our third-party vendors.
Internal Accountability
As set out in the WMG Code of Conduct, as well as our Whistleblower and Anti-Corruption policies, we seek to promote honest and ethical conduct both within our operations and our supply chain and support compliance with applicable laws and regulations wherever in the world our business is conducted. All employees and officers of WMG must certify having received the Code, acknowledge that they understand its contents, and agree to comply with its terms in both spirit and law. To detail WMG’s ongoing commitment and growth in becoming an even more ethical, equitable and environmentally sustainable company, we have also released our second annual Environmental Social Governance Report.
Supply Chain Review
We source our goods from a diverse supply base and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any suppliers who do not comply with all laws, including laws pertaining to trafficked, bonded, child, prison, indentured or forced labor. Wherever possible, we work to build long standing relationships with suppliers and insist on visibility into their business standards.
This past year we updated our WMG Supplier Code of Conduct, which reflects those standards that we ask of ourselves and which we look for in our partners. These standards are designed to, among other things, ensure that the human rights of workers are upheld and that workers are treated with respect and dignity by each of our partners, suppliers, licensees and advisers. Failure by a supply chain partner to comply with our standards or ensure the compliance of their sub-contractors, can lead to cessation of the business relationship and could result in legal action.
We have reviewed, through methods including diligence screening, site visits, questionnaires, select suppliers to ensure that, so far as possible, the supply chain is operating ethically and consistent with the standards of WMG. Our review thus far has identified no evidence of trafficked, bonded, child or forced laborwithin our supply chain. We will continue to expand this review process.
Employee Training
The WMG Compliance and Ethics Education Program is offered to reinforce our shared goals and values, and to provide employees guidance on a broad range of ethics and compliance issues. All employees receive training on our Code of Conduct which includes a segment dedicated to educating employees on protecting human rights. Additional training is provided to our employees that are responsible for engaging with suppliers, to ensure they can identify any issues within the business and report concerns to senior management or through appropriate whistle blowing mechanisms.
This Statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our human trafficking statement for the previous financial year (FY21). The board of directors of Warner Music Group delegated approval of this statement on its behalf to the Chief Compliance Officer of WMG.
Trent Tappe
SVP, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
Warner Music Group
March 1, 2023