Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
1. Purpose and Governance
Audico Group (hereinafter “Audico”) is committed to conducting its business ethically and honestly, and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. To achieve this goal, Audico selects reputable suppliers who operate in a manner that demonstrates such a commitment and has therefore established this Supplier Code of Conduct.
Audico develops, implements, enforces, and maintains its Supplier Code of Conduct. Audico reviews the document annually, and the most recent revision date will be the valid date shown in the supplier document.
To ensure consistency and shared commitment, Audico requires our suppliers to read, sign, and adhere to all expectations described in the supplier document.
Audico recognizes that it cannot achieve progress alone. By fostering effective partnerships within our supply chain, we can extend our impact and achieve more sustainable results. The following comprehensive, quantitative, and time-bound sustainable procurement objectives have been established.
1.1. Supplier Code of Conduct Goals
Ensure that our suppliers sign and confirm compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct no later than 2025/2026.
This document does not replace specific contractual requirements. It is an addition to existing supplier agreements. If a contractual provision is stricter than this document, the supplier must meet the contractual requirement. Suppliers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. If a requirement in the Code of Conduct is stricter than applicable laws, the stricter requirement must be followed. If applicable laws or regulations conflict with this Supplier Code, suppliers must comply with the law while striving to meet the underlying principles of the Code of Conduct. Suppliers must act ethically and transparently regardless of whether the Code of Conduct, contractual obligations, and/or additional Audico policies specifically address a situation.
Through this Supplier Code of Conduct, Audico reaffirms its commitment to promoting a responsible, transparent, and sustainable supply chain that upholds the highest standards of ethics, human rights, and environmental stewardship. Audico may conduct periodic supplier performance evaluations and risk assessments to measure compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct.
2. Working Conditions and Human Rights
Audico believes that human rights are the fundamental rights, freedoms and standards of treatment to which all people are entitled, and we are committed to human rights and equal opportunities in the workplace, which includes expecting suppliers to ensure that their employees are treated fairly and with dignity and respect.
2.1. Respect and Fair Treatment
Audico is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace that is free from harassment, threats, violence and other unsafe or disruptive conditions. All our employees are responsible for maintaining a safe, fair and harassment-free working environment. Suppliers shall comply with all applicable non-discrimination and anti-harassment laws in hiring and employment. Suppliers shall maintain a workplace where business is conducted with respect and where treatment is fair and free from abuse, notwithstanding local legal requirements that may state otherwise. These include, but are not limited to, the following.
2.1.1. Respect fundamental human rights of employees
· Promoting equal opportunities and treatment for its employees regardless of skin colour, race, nationality, social background, disability, sexual orientation, political or religious beliefs, gender or age.
· Respecting each individual's personal dignity, integrity and rights.
· Refusing to hire or allow anyone to work against their will.
· Refusing to tolerate any unacceptable treatment of employees, such as psychological cruelty, sexual harassment or discrimination.
· Prohibiting behaviour, including gestures, language and physical contact, that is sexual, coercive, threatening, abusive or exploitative.
· Providing fair compensation and guaranteeing the applicable national minimum wage.
· Complying with the maximum number of working hours established by applicable laws.
· Recognise, to the extent legally possible, the right of employees to freely organise and neither favour nor discriminate against members of employee organisations or trade unions.
· Provide open channels of communication for employees to provide feedback or raise issues with company management and leadership.
2.1.2. Right to employment and voluntary work
The supplier may only employ persons who have the legal right to work and must ensure that all work is performed voluntarily. Child labour forced labour, and all forms of modern slavery are prohibited. The supplier must comply with applicable national legislation, the ILO's core conventions and international regulations against human trafficking and labour exploitation.
2.1.3. Prohibition of Child Labor
Suppliers must not employ workers under the age of 16, or as otherwise allowed for certain developing countries. Audico follows the core principles of ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment. While Sweden has not formally ratified this convention, its requirements are met through Swedish legislation. Under the Work Environment Act, the Education Act, and regulation AFS 2012:3, children under 13 may not work, while youth between 13 and 15 may only perform light work in limited forms. From age 16, work is permitted, but with specific protective rules to safeguard minors’ safety, health, and right to education.
2.2. Safety and Security
Suppliers shall promote safe and secure workplaces. Suppliers shall have policies and procedures in place to ensure the health and safety of their employees and take all necessary measures to provide a safe working environment.
2.2.1. Employee Health and Safety
Take responsibility for the health and safety of employees, control hazards and take the best possible precautions against accidents and occupational diseases. You are also responsible for providing training and ensuring that employees are trained in health and safety issues. Ensure that there are management systems for health and safety in the workplace.
2.3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Audico strives to build a more diverse, inclusive and accessible company that represents the global communities in which we live and work. Suppliers shall strive to create a diverse and inclusive workplace, support equal opportunities in their workplaces and prohibit illegal discrimination of any kind.
A diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for driving innovative solutions, promoting creativity and guiding business strategies. Many voices lead to new ideas, products and services, and the kind of innovation that benefits our customers.
Audico promotes and believes in the power of diversity, strives for nothing less than fairness for every employee, and is committed to an authentic culture of inclusion. Suppliers will comply with all applicable laws related to diversity, fairness, and inclusion and consider how business decisions impact the workplace. In addition, Audico encourages suppliers to establish commitments and goals to promote diversity, fairness, and inclusion in their workplaces.
2.4. Freedom of Association
Suppliers must respect employees’ legal right to freedom of association, as well as their right to join, form, or refrain from joining a trade union, or otherwise participate in collective bargaining. If local law does not protect freedom of association, suppliers must comply with the law while allowing workers and/or their representatives to safely and openly present grievances about working conditions and management practices without fear of discrimination, retaliation, threats, or harassment.
2.5. Reasonable Working Hours and Wages
Suppliers shall conduct their operations in a manner that ensures that working hours, including overtime, are humane and productive and do not exceed applicable legal limits. Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws regarding working hours and overtime, and all applicable laws regarding wages and benefits. Where there is no statutory minimum wage, suppliers must compensate workers at a level that enables them to meet their basic needs. Suppliers shall prohibit recruitment fees paid by employees and the retention of employees' passports or other travel documents and shall provide adequate accommodation facilities (where dormitories are provided).
3. Ethical business practices
Protecting Audico's confidential information and being a market leader in confidentiality and data security is an integral part of our business, our customers and our reputation.
3.1. Integrity
Suppliers shall comply with all applicable data protection and privacy laws and shall never disclose personal data outside Audico except when required by law or as instructed by Audico. Suppliers shall comply with Audico's privacy principles.
3.2. Publicity
Suppliers may not use Audico's name, logos or proprietary marks, or disclose the existence of or publicise the supplier's business relationship with Audico for any purpose without Audico's prior consent.
3.3. Confidential and proprietary information
Suppliers shall protect confidential and proprietary information belonging to Audico and take action to prevent misuse, theft, fraud or improper disclosure. Suppliers must exercise all due care when handling, discussing or transferring confidential or proprietary information that may affect Audico, its employees, customers, the business community or the general public.
3.4. Intellectual property rights
Suppliers must respect the intellectual property rights of others and protect and take the necessary measures to protect the intellectual property rights of Audico and its customers, even if they are public. This includes trademarks, patents, copyrights, inventions and other proprietary works. The supplier may only use such intellectual property for the purposes approved in a contract agreement.
3.5. Company registers
Suppliers shall maintain accurate and complete business records regarding all matters relating to the supplier's business with Audico. Suppliers shall provide such business records to Audico upon request.
3.6. Inside information and insider trading
Suppliers who gain access to any material, non-public information about Audico, our customers or business partners while working with Audico may not share that information with others or use it for market trading or to tip anyone else about market trading.
4. Business relationships and integrity
Audico requires its suppliers to conduct business in the same way that Audico strives to conduct its business: responsibly, with integrity and high ethical standards, and in accordance with the law.
4.1. Anti-bribery and anti-corruption
Audico and its suppliers must not tolerate any form of corruption or bribery, nor directly or indirectly engage in any form of corruption or bribery, nor grant, offer or promise anything of value to a government official or private sector counterpart in order to influence official actions or obtain an undue advantage. Suppliers must comply with our anti-bribery policy and all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
4.2. Competition
Suppliers shall comply with all applicable fair competition and anti-trust laws and shall not participate in price fixing, market or customer allocation, market sharing or bid rigging with competitors.
4.3. Enquiries from suppliers
Each supplier acknowledges that Audico's employees are valuable assets to each other. Consequently, during the term and for a period of one (1) year after termination of a purchase order, the supplier shall not, directly or indirectly, recruit or employ any Audico employee with whom the supplier had contact in connection with such purchase order. However, this does not apply to general advertisements or announcements of job vacancies or openings, or other similar public publications of job searches or availability to fill employment positions, including on the internet, which shall not be interpreted as recruitment or encouragement. Hiring such an employee or independent contractor who freely responds to this shall not constitute a breach of contract.
4.4. Conflict of interest
Suppliers shall report to Audico any situations that may appear to be a conflict of interest and disclose to Audico if any Audico employee or professional contracted by Audico may have an interest of any kind in the supplier's business or any form of financial ties with the supplier that could adversely affect business relations.
4.5. Bribes
Suppliers should have a well-thought-out policy for gifts and entertainment. Bribes to Audico employees are prohibited, regardless of local customs. In addition, suppliers may not offer entertainment or gifts to government officials—or make direct or indirect political contributions on behalf of Audico.
4.6. Trade sanctions and export control
Audico complies with all international trade laws and regulations, including US trade sanctions, and we expect suppliers to comply with all trade and export control laws applicable to their work with Audico.
5. Environmental sustainability
Audico is committed to sustainability and responsible purchasing. Suppliers are expected to conduct their business in a manner that minimizes the impact on natural resources and protects the environment, customers, and workers.
Suppliers should take into account international, federal, state, and local environmental laws, rules, and regulations to guide their efforts regarding air emissions, water management, toxic substances, and solid and hazardous waste management.
5.1. Permits for environmental measures
The supplier shall actin accordance with applicable statutory and international standards for environmental protection. The supplier shall maintain all necessary environmental permits and registrations and comply with the operating and reporting requirements applicable to such permits.
5.2. Product liability requirements
The Supplier shall comply with all applicable product governance requirements, including laws, regulations, industry standards, and Audico's or Audico's customer's requirements regarding (i) prohibitions or restrictions on the use, content, or handling of specific chemicals, substances, or material compositions; (ii)product labelling, recycling, take-back/lifespan, and disposal; (iii) product design for safety, energy efficiency, and recyclability, or similar life cycle requirements, including the carbon footprint of the products; and (iv) product packaging and transportation (collectively and as amended, “product stewardship requirements”). The supplier shall, upon request, provide evidence of compliance with the product control requirements.
5.3. Material declarations
The supplier shall provide Audico with information upon request to demonstrate product control requirements, including, but not limited to, material declarations, where applicable.
5.4. Supply chain management
The Supplier shall take reasonable steps to highlight and promote its suppliers' compliance with this Code of Conduct with regard to all aspects of environmental sustainability described herein, and to comply with the principles of non-discrimination with regard to its own selection and treatment of suppliers.
The Supplier shall provide the necessary organizational instructions and take measures (including with regard to premises security, packaging and transport, business partners, personnel, and information) to ensure security in the supply chain in accordance with the requirements of internationally recognized initiatives based on the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards (e.g., AEO, C-TPAT),and shall protect the goods and services provided to Audico or to third parties designated by Audico against unauthorized access and manipulation. The supplier shall only use reliable personnel in connection with goods and services and shall require all subcontractors to take corresponding security measures.
5.5. Environmental impact
The supplier shall cooperate with Audico to evaluate the environmental impact of products and the supply chain in accordance with international or other standards defined by Audico and upon request.
5.6. Energy consumption, climate change, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Suppliers shall identify, monitor, and minimize relevant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption from their product manufacturing and operations. Suppliers shall seek cost-effective methods to improve energy efficiency and minimize energy consumption and GHG emissions.
Audico has made sustainability commitments and set targets to achieve an absolute reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions. Read more at www.audicosystems.com/sustianability. Audico expects and encourages its suppliers to support the achievement of our sustainability goals, including contributing to our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
5.7. Conflict minerals
The supplier shall take reasonable measures to avoid using raw materials in its products that directly or indirectly finance armed groups that violate human rights.
5.8. Waste management
The supplier shall implement a systematic approach to identifying, managing, reducing, and responsibly disposing of or recycling solid waste (non-hazardous).
5.9. Waste management
The supplier shall minimize environmental pollution and make continuous improvements to reduce or eliminate chemicals, waste, and other materials that pose a danger to people or the environment by identifying, labelling, and managing them to ensure safe handling, movement, storage, use, recycling or reuse, and disposal.
6. Compliance and reporting of irregularities
6.1. Responsibility and compliance
Suppliers must comply with this Supplier Code and applicable laws, including modern slavery legislation. Suppliers are responsible for monitoring or documenting their compliance and their efforts to promote compliance within their supply chains. Audico reserves the right to investigate any instances of non-compliance by a supplier that come to its attention. Suppliers shall cooperate in any investigations conducted. Non-compliance may be grounds for Audico to cancel or terminate contractual obligations with a supplier without penalty.
6.2. Provide reporting mechanisms
The supplier shall provide a grievance mechanism for its employees so that they can report illegal or otherwise inappropriate behaviour without reprisals. In addition to these mechanisms, suppliers will also work to remedy any negative effects when such a problem is reported.
Last updated August, 2025
