Medix Biochemica Human Rights Policy

Purpose and Coverage

This Human Rights policy describes Medix Biochemica’s role, objectives and responsibilities in respect of our human rights commitment. We expect our employees, suppliers, distributors, and other business partners whose actions and omissions may directly impact our operations, products or services, to respect human rights and not limit or infringe upon them.

This policy complements Medix Biochemica’s Code of Conduct and related policies, including Medix Biochemica’s Supplier and Distributor Codes of Conduct, which set out the principles and standards expected from our employees, our companies, suppliers, distributors and other business partners.

This policy applies to all Medix Biochemica’s personnel, and covers all subsidiaries, and legal entities.

Medix Biochemica’s Commitment to Human Rights

At Medix Biochemica, our values of We Care, We Dare, and We Deliver guide our actions and decisions in all aspects of our business. We recognize the importance of upholding and respecting human rights as fundamental to our mission to enable IVD customers to deliver results to billions of patients. Therefore, we are committed to promoting and protecting human rights in all our operations and business activities.

Medix Biochemica respects and promotes universal and basic human labour rights as defined by

the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
the International Labor Organization including the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and
the International Bill of Human Rights

in its operations.

We respect and support human and labour rights across our entire supply chain, including our own operations, suppliers, distributors and other business partners. We continuously improve our understanding of our human rights impacts and take steps to remediate the impacts we become aware of.

Among those rights Medix Biochemica considers to be fundamental and universal in the following: freedom of thought, opinion, expression, religion and peaceful assembly as well as freedom from any discrimination based on race, age, nationality, gender or sexual orientation. Furthermore, Medix Biochemica does not use nor tolerate the use of child labor or any working conditions that are not in accordance with international conventions, practices, and Medix Biochemica’s own ethical standards

The Main Scope of Medix Biochemica’s Human Rights Policy

Due to the nature of our operations and business we are focusing on two major areas of Human rights:

1. Safe Working environment

Medix Biochemica is committed to providing a safe working environment for all employees with consistent health and safety standards across our sites. As we as complying with local legal requirements, all sites are required to conform to relevant global best practice standards. This is important for Medix Biochemica as our employees are exposed to chemicals and biologicals in our laboratories. We monitor accidents and close calls closely and are committed to taking corrective actions immediately.

2. Respect of labour rights

Labour Practices

We adhere to the principles of fair labour practices and recognize the rights of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We ensure that our employees receive fair wages, benefits, and working conditions in accordance with applicable laws and industry standards. We prohibit forced labour, child labour, and any form of human trafficking.

Child and Forced Labour

We prohibit any form of child labour and, in line with ILO standards, we do not hire workers under the age of 15 or under local mandatory schooling age, whichever is higher. Where allowed by local laws, the minimum age may be higher in some countries, or lower in some other for light work (i.e., work that is not harmful to a person’s health or development or does not interfere with their education or ability to benefit from education). For example, we may offer trainee positions or part-time summer work for students. The minimum age for work related to any hazardous chemicals is always 18 years.

We prohibit any form of modern slavery in our operations and supply chains. This includes any form of forced labour, such as indentured, bonded, or prison labour in which employees do not freely choose to participate in the work. We also prohibit the use of threats, violence, deception or coercion to force employees to work against their will. We hold our suppliers to the same standards, as outlined in our Code of Conduct Medix Biochemica Suppliers, which we ask We track the percentage of our spend with suppliers who have signed the Code of Conduct Medix Biochemica Suppliers or equivalent.

Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying

Medix Biochemica is committed to maintaining a work environment where everyone feels physically and psychologically safe. We do not tolerate any type of discrimination, harassment or bullying. We are committed to assuring the equitable treatment of all individuals regardless of any personal attributes or characteristics. We also expect all our suppliers, distributors and other business partners to treat their employees in a fair and equal manner, and to observe zero tolerance when it comes to discrimination, harassment and bullying. This expectation is clearly set out in our Code of Conduct Medix Biochemica Suppliers.

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

We respect our employees’ right to freely associate and bargain collectively. While we recognize that freedom of association and collective bargaining is not always fully respected in the countries where we operate, our employees have the right to be represented in order to pursue legitimate interests, to form and join trade unions of their choosing, to bargain collectively and have access to internal and/or external employee representatives. Where trade unions are not permitted locally, we allow employees to gather independently and freely discuss work-related issues and raise collective concerns. We ensure that employees are not penalized for trade union activity.

We require our suppliers and distributors to respect their employees’ rights to the same freedoms and to protect them from intimidation or harassment in the exercise of their legal right to join or refrain from joining any organization.

Working Conditions

We adhere to all applicable local laws, relevant ILO conventions and industry standards with respect to working hours, wages, benefits, and overtime. Medix Biochemica ensures that compensation is paid in a timely manner to our employees, including contractors, temporary and part-time employees, and that no unlawful deductions or withdrawals are made. We ensure that our employees are paid at least the applicable statutory minimum wage, and mandatory benefits are paid to our employees, including paid leave.

We hold our suppliers and distributors to the same standards, as outlined in our Supplier and Distributor Codes of Conduct. In particular, these codes of conduct require our suppliers and distributors to ensure that all their employees are provided with employment documents that are freely agreed and which respect their legal and contractual rights.

Equal Opportunities

Medix Biochemica is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. Employees and any job applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or partnership status, military status, pregnancy or maternity, age or any other class or status protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment with us, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, redundancy, transfer, leave of absence, compensation and training opportunities.

Our Values enables the human labour rights.

We Care: At Medix Biochemica, we deeply care about the well-being of every individual, both within our organization and in the communities we serve. We recognize that respecting human rights is essential to fostering a culture of care and compassion.

Therefore, we are dedicated to:

Providing a safe, healthy, and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect.
Upholding the principles of equality, diversity, and non-discrimination in our employment practices and workplace culture.
Supporting initiatives that promote human rights, and sustainable development in the communities where we operate.

We Dare: As an innovative and forward-thinking company, we dare to challenge the status quo and drive positive change in the world. We believe that daring to uphold human rights is not only the right thing to do but also essential for our long-term success and sustainability.

Therefore, we are committed to:

Empowering our employees to speak up and take action against human rights violations, discrimination, harassment, or any other form of injustice.
Advocating for the rights and well-being of our employees, customers, suppliers, and all stakeholders throughout our value chain.

We Deliver: At Medix Biochemica, we deliver on our promises with integrity, excellence, and accountability. We recognize that delivering on our commitment to human rights requires ongoing effort, diligence, and collaboration.

Therefore, we are committed to:

Integrating human rights considerations into our policies, and decision-making processes.
Collaborating with our suppliers, partners, and stakeholders to promote ethical labour practices and social responsibility throughout our supply chain.

Raising Concerns

We encourage our people, suppliers and subcontractors to raise ethical and legal concerns, including potential human rights issues, and we provide a secure channel for them to do so confidentially, and were allowed by law, anonymously.

We treat all concerns seriously and in strict confidence. Medix Biochemica’s Code of Conduct and Code of Conduct Medix Biochemica Suppliers our Whistle blowing link: Whistleblower (office.com) for internal use, and info@medixbiochemica.com for Suppliers use.

Mariella Paroma

Chief People Officer, Medix Biochemica