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Modern Slavery Statement

Thames & Hudson was founded in 1949 and, informed by the personal histories of our founders, we are proud to uphold high standards in acting fairly and ethically wherever and however we do business. These standards are built on our company values, the values of our employees and our collective commitment to acting with integrity throughout our organisation. We wholeheartedly condemn corruption in all its forms and modern forms of slavery such as forced or compulsory labour, child labour or human trafficking. We will not tolerate it in our business or in any business we work with.

Our Business

Our business comprises trade book publishing and book distribution services. We produce printed and electronic trade and educational books and provide publishing and distribution services worldwide. Our registered office is located in the UK, with over two hundred staff employed globally. We have subsidiary companies in France, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia as
well as a sister company, Thames & Hudson Inc. in the US.

Our Supply Chain

Our supply chains include:

  • Print production;
  • Logistics and distribution services;
  • IT and other office equipment suppliers; and
  • Professional services from lawyers, accountants, IT specialists and other advisors, travel-related services, office cleaning and other office facilities services.

We have assessed the areas of risk of modern slavery in our business’s supply chains and have concluded that most of it is low risk. The main areas of greater risk, however, may include:

  • Colour print and book production services in Eastern Europe, China, India and the Middle East;
  • Office facility services (such as cleaning and catering);
  • The use of agency workers in warehouses.

As a company, we are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and we expect the same standards from our contractors, suppliers and from the publishers for which we sell and distribute books on behalf of. To this end, we include clauses prohibiting the use of forced, compulsory or trafficked labour in the Terms & Conditions our print suppliers are required to sign and agree to. We have also included a clause in our agreements with distributed publishers which requires a covenant to adhere to the highest ethical standards. In the event we consider any party to be in breach of these Terms & Conditions or agreements, we are empowered to terminate our relationship with them.

Our Policy on Modern Slavery

We are committed to ensuring there is transparency in our own business and in our approach to tackling Modern Slavery, wherever we encounter it, by implementing and enforcing wherever possible, effective systems and controls in our business and our supply chains.

Our Actions

  • We are conducting a full audit of all our print production suppliers. This audit will be repeated every 2 years.
  • We are in the process of drawing up a Supplier Code which sets out our policy on Modern Slavery amongst other things and every new and existing supplier will be expected to sign up to this code and if they do not, they will no longer be a supplier to Thames & Hudson.
  • We are ensuring that all employees are made aware of our policy on Modern Slavery and its objectives.
  • We will continue to assess and review our business activities, especially in areas and jurisdictions deemed to be risky, and act on any areas that may pose risk.
  • We are committed to ensuring that all relevant decision-makers within the company and all relevant staff in production teams are equipped to raise awareness of Modern Slavery and are provided with information on how to report concerns.

Pursuant to s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, this statement constitutes Thames & Hudson’s slavery and human trafficking statement (“Modern Slavery Statement”). It reflects the principles, practices, and policies in place at Thames & Hudson Limited and its subsidiary companies. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 prohibits slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, child labour, workplace abuse and human trafficking (“Modern Slavery”).

This statement has been approved by the Board of Thames & Hudson Limited and on behalf of its subsidiary companies.

Sophy Thompson – CEO & Publisher

For and on behalf of Thames & Hudson Limited