code-of-conduct-for-business-ethics-in-demant

Performing
with integrity

The way we act as company is reflected in how we connect with employees, users, customers, third parties and other stakeholders. We take a proactive approach to business ethics to ensure we behave as a company we can be proud of.

We have a strong business ethics programme, which reflects our commitment to high level business ethics it lays the foundation for Demant’s larger sustainability agenda. Read more about it at Business ethics page.

We strive for high ethical standards and conduct business with integrity and honesty. We strive to act responsibly and are committed to operating our business in accordance with the law and the minimum standards set in our Code of Conduct.

  • icon-code-of-conduct
    Providing code of conduct training to highly exposed employees

    2030 target
    100%

    2024 performance
    76%

  • business-ethics-days_round
    Business Ethics Days further educates our champions on business ethics compliance
  • coc-elearning-round
    Launch of e-learning for global Code of Conduct and Whistleblower scheme – in 11 languages
  • gift-and-hospitality-round
    Update of Gifts & Hospitality Guidelines by adding country-specific appendices
  • sustain_round
    Launch of Sustain, a supplier engagement programme for our Hearing Aids business area

A quality mindset

hearing-aids-marketing

We work with quality to sustain the high standards and reliability of our products and to ensure the safety of our customers and users. This is crucial to our purpose of making life-changing differences through hearing health.

We ensure that the Group complies with relevant regulations related to specific substances. Quality management is defined in quality policies for the Hearing Aids and Diagnostics business areas.

We mitigate risks associated with quality and safety by Biological Safety Evaluation and use ISO10993 as a guiding standard. We evaluate materials in skin contact in accordance with the standard and when necessary, we perform animal testing according to ISO10993-10 while evaluating whether chemical extraction and characterization is deemed sufficient instead. These tests are conducted by external partners.

We have clinical validation and  marketing processes in place to deliver clear communication to our customers and users, ensuring that we conduct responsible marketing all the way from headquarters to local markets.

Zooming in on data privacy

data-privacy

We handle personal data of our employees, customers, users, business partners and other stakeholders with the utmost care and respect, recognising its sensitive nature, especially when it comes to hearing health information. Protecting the confidentiality and integrity of the data we manage is among our top compliance priorities and we work to safeguard personal data at every stage of our data processing operations.

To achieve this, we continuously implement high-level security measures and procedures, launch and update relevant policies, run several internal initiatives including training and awareness and cooperate with the authorities if needed.

Among the internal initiatives to address the challenges of data privacy management under the EU legislation, GDPR, we have established a network of Data Privacy Champions. It comprises around 110 participants, including appointed Data Privacy Champions in various locations and employees working on privacy tasks. The network aims to share knowledge of development and best practices across different regions related to data privacy. This granular approach allows for a more effective alignment of practices and policies.

Working with suppliers

sustain

Our commitment to caring for people reaches not only our own workforce, but also to the workers that we impact indirectly in our value chain. We work to ensure that robust processes are in place to support the protection of rights at every stage.

As a global business with suppliers all over the world, we are very aware of the importance of our interactions with them. Our Third Party Compliance Code outlines our expectations for suppliers and business partners regarding working conditions for workers in our value chain.

Our close collaboration with suppliers enables us to consistently deliver quality products in scale and thus ensure timely delivery throughout our value chain. At the same time, it allows us to assess how sustainable practices are integrated in their businesses, ensuring our business remains competitive and responsible in the long term. This collaborative approach not only helps us meet our own sustainability targets but also encourages suppliers to improve their own operations, creating a ripple effect. The engagement we pursue opens the doors to innovative solutions and builds trust and transparency.

Aware of the importance of this engagement, we launched Sustain, a supplier engagement programme for our Hearing Aids business area. This programme aims at fostering collaboration with suppliers, focusing on decarbonisation and addressing human rights impacts within our supply chain.