Modern slavery statement

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and is published on behalf of LGC Science Corporation Limited and all its direct and indirect subsidiaries1, including LGC Limited and LGC Genomics Limited (which meet the reporting threshold in the UK).

This statement refers to the financial year ending 31 March 2024 and sets out the steps we have taken to address modern slavery risks in our business and supply chains.

Modern slavery statement 2024

Previous statements from 2017 onwards can be viewed on the reports and documents page.

Who we are

LGC is a leading global life science tools company. We partner with our customers to find and develop solutions to diagnose, treat, feed and protect our growing population. With over 180 years of scientific heritage, we combine a track record of innovation and value enhancing acquisitions that expand our product portfolio and expertise and help our customers achieve their goals, as part of our purpose – Science for a Safer World.

Our scientific work is typically embedded and recurring within our customers’ products and workflows. We help our customers:

  • Bring new diagnostics and therapies to market
  • Progress research and development
  • Optimise food production
  • Monitor and enhance the quality of food, environment and consumer products.

Our 180 years of scientific heritage, combined with a track record of innovation and value-enhancing acquisitions, has enabled us to build our product portfolio and expertise, and develop deep relationships with customers, industry partners and the global scientific community.

In addition to our core purpose, the values of our organisation – passion, curiosity, integrity, brilliance and respect – drive our culture. As of 31 August 2022, we employ 4,496 employees, of which over 28% hold PhD and/or master’s degrees. Our products and services are delivered by highly qualified and experienced teams, operating from a global network of accredited sites that showcase our scientific and manufacturing capabilities.

Operations
LGC operates globally through a network of specialist manufacturing sites, analytical testing laboratories, and offices. We employ around 3,800 colleagues, with the majority based in the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Ireland. Further details about our business can be found in our Annual Report.

Supply chains
The majority of our suppliers are located within the US, UK, EU and Canada. Key aspects of our supply chain include:

  • Laboratory equipment and consumables for our production and analytical activities
  • Raw materials, packaging, and transportation services for the manufacturing, storage and
    distribution of our products
  • IT equipment and support, facilities management, engineering, construction and other
    professional services as part of our wider business operations.
Policies and practices

Our policies and practices reflect our commitment to act with integrity and respect in all our business interactions, this includes minimising the risk arising from slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking (collectively “modern slavery”) in our operations and supply chain.

Code of Ethics
Our Code of Ethics sets out our clear expectation that all colleagues and business partners behave in an ethical and compliant manner. We expect all our colleagues to “do the right thing” and to seek guidance when the “right thing” is not clear. Our Code of Ethics reaffirms our commitment to conduct our business with the highest ethical standards and reiterates the importance of colleagues challenging or reporting any conduct that is not aligned with our values.

Supplier Code of Conduct
Our Supplier Code of Conduct outlines the standards which we expect our suppliers to follow, including compliance with appropriate policies and procedures, such as those relating to modern slavery. As well as complying with applicable laws and regulations connected with the provision of goods and services, we seek to work with suppliers that share our values in all business transactions. All our suppliers must acknowledge our Supplier Code of Conduct as a condition of doing business with LGC, and all suppliers are contractually obliged to communicate their obligations under the Supplier Code of Conduct to their employees and subcontractors.

Equality and Diversity Policy
Our Equality and Diversity Policy prohibits all forms of discrimination based on age, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy, maternity, religion or belief, or any other basis protected by country, state or local regulations.

We do not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment in the workplace or in any work-related setting. We also do not tolerate the victimisation of any person making allegations of bullying or harassment in good faith.

Grievance mechanisms
We support a culture within which all our colleagues feel empowered to raise concerns about actual or potential misconduct without fear of reprisal. Our external whistleblowing procedure helps colleagues, business partners, and others, to report concerns about the actions of suppliers, managers and colleagues anonymously, and in confidence. This may include concerns of corruption, unethical or illegal action or human rights infractions. All reports are assessed by our Chief Compliance Officer to determine the scope and need for an investigation.

Training
We routinely deliver training on counterparty checking of both customers and suppliers to our colleagues, as informed by our risk assessment processes. We launched compulsory training to all colleagues on anti-bribery and corruption in 2019, and on export controls in May 2020. In 2022, we implemented an updated e-learning course covering our controls to manage anti-bribery and corruption, and further training on data privacy and cybersecurity risk, which were each mandatory for all colleagues. We continue to review on-going compulsory compliance training offered to colleagues to ensure compliance with applicable laws, including those in connection with modern slavery.

Risk assessment and due diligence

Governance
Our ESG Policy Committee, which meets quarterly, is responsible for overseeing our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approach, including initiatives to minimise the risk of modern slavery within our operations and supply chain. The Committee is chaired by Euan O’Sullivan, President & Chief Executive Officer, and includes the Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Chief People Officer, and senior leaders from across the business. The Committee reports to our Executive Leadership Team and Board on an annual basis.

Risk assessment
We believe the risk of modern slavery within our directly employed workforce is low due to the highly regulated nature of our industry, the skilled and educated nature of our employees, and the controlled environments in which they work, supported by established policies and processes.

While our exposure to modern slavery risk increases when engaging with third parties through our supply chain, our risk assessment indicates that this remains low:

  • Given the specialised nature of our products and services, most of our suppliers operate in lowrisk sectors and countries, primarily within the UK, EU, Canada, and the US.
  • Where feasible, we engage with strategic suppliers through long-term contracts, providing greater visibility into their operations and working practices.

Our approach to responsible sourcing focuses on areas of our supply chain we believe present the highest potential risk or impact, considering factors such as:

  • The criticality of our relationship with the supplier
  • The geographic region of the supplier’s operations
  • Industry-specific risks
  • Previous supplier performance
  • Annual spend.

Due diligence
To identify and mitigate risks, we conduct due diligence, which includes:

  • Financial checks: All new suppliers, contractors, sub-contractors, distributors, agents, and customers undergo financial checks to ensure they are not involved in or suspected of modern slavery, bribery, corruption, or other unlawful activities.
  • Digital tools: We employ digital tools for counterparty checking at each stage of the transaction process to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
  • Procurement tracking: We use digital procurement tools to monitor supplier sustainability credentials, including adherence to modern slavery and conflict mineral requirements.
  • Audits: We reserve the right to conduct virtual or on-site audits of key suppliers to ensure
    compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct and applicable laws.

As part of our supplier onboarding process, we request that all new suppliers acknowledge our Supplier Code of Conduct. We also evaluate their certifications, policy commitments, and statements regarding responsible or sustainable procurement practices, such as those related to conflict minerals, labour management, and human rights protection.

Activities undertaken in the past year

Our operations: Internal audit and risk assessment
Our sites undergo regular audits, both internally by our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) team and externally by third-party bodies. Our internal site audits and risk assessments cover the following areas:

  • Employee health and safety
  • Working practices, including labour conditions and human rights
  • Environmental risk and management
  • Business ethics, including anti-bribery and corruption.

Over the past year:

  • Internal audits were conducted at 12 of our largest sites, covering 44% of our workforce.
  • No incidents related to modern slavery were identified.

Our operations: Incidents raised via external whistleblowing service
Over the past year:

  • Three reports were raised via the external whistleblowing service; upon investigation, none were found to involve employee misconduct.
  • There were no reported incidents related to modern slavery or human trafficking.
  • There were no reported incidents of corruption or illegal actions concerning anti-competitive behavior or violations of anti-trust and monopoly legislation.

Supplier assessment
We evaluate the ESG credentials of the top 80% of suppliers (by spend) at each of our major operational sites, including whether the supplier has implemented a whistleblowing mechanism.

As of 31 March 2024, our assessment of these top suppliers revealed that:

  • 65% report their ESG performance on a third-party ESG or sustainability assessment platform.
  • 67% have a publicly available code of conduct, including details of a whistleblowing policy.
Next steps

While we are not aware of any instances of modern slavery within our business or broader supply chain, our global procurement team will continue to implement proactive measures to minimise modern slavery risks across LGC.

As our business continues to grow, we remain committed to integrating global policies and procedures that highlight and educate our colleagues and suppliers about the risks of modern slavery. The identification and management of modern slavery risks will continue to inform updates to LGC’s compliance processes and policies.

This statement has been approved by the Board of LGC Science Corporation Limited and the Boards of LGC Limited and LGC Genomics Limited, in compliance with the Act. It was approved by the Board of LGC Science Corporation Limited on 27 September 2024.

Euan O’Sullivan
President and Chief Executive Officer of LGC
27 September 2024