Human rights & modern slavery

The division supports and adheres to the principles set out in the relevant international human rights instruments, including the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

This commitment is communicated in the division’s Ethical Sourcing and Modern Slavery Policy.

The division’s ethical sourcing approach also supports and complies with current national and international regulations to identify, prevent, and mitigate any actual or potential adverse human rights impact. Acknowledging its role as a responsible business, the division does not tolerate any form of modern slavery in its operations or supply chains and expects its suppliers to operate at the same standard.

Wesfarmers Health is also committed to eradicating unlawful child labour from its operations and supply chains.

If an instance of child labour is identified, the division will place the interests of the child at the centre of its response guided by the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child, as well as the International Labour Organisation’s standards regarding child labour and minimum working age. 

The division has complex global supply chains which require it to take a risk-based approach to prioritise the management of human rights in the design and execution of its Ethical Sourcing Program.

The focus areas are:

• Own-Brand Goods for Resale: Suppliers and their finished goods manufacturing sites are included in Health’s Ethical Sourcing Program. The manufacturing sites are segmented into high, medium, and low risk categories, which then inform due diligence requirements.
• High-Risk Goods Not for Resale: The same categorisation process applies to suppliers manufacturing products that contain high risk ingredients such as cotton, rubber, mica, or polysilicon.

Wesfarmers Health uses tools such as due diligence checklists, Sedex Analytics, ethical audits, and third-party grievance mechanisms to identify and manage risks. The Sedex Analytics tool provides risk scores for each manufacturing site based on the site profile and sector, allowing the division to segment the sites into risk categories.

The division continues to support ethical sourcing practices to protect the rights of vulnerable workers in the manufacturing of goods and provision of services. Where adverse human rights impacts are identified, the division will collaborate closely with its suppliers to address harm and prevent recurrence.

Ethical sourcing data is tabled to the Wesfarmers Health Audit and Risk Committee in the Compliance Program Report on a quarterly basis.

The data includes:

• Site approval status: Number of approved facilities / sites monitored under the Ethical Sourcing Program.
• Site location: The level of diversification within the private label supply chain.
• Site breaches: Any critical breach findings identified in an audit report during the quarter.
• Audit grading: Number of audit reports reviewed during the quarter and the grading results for each audit.

These metrics are used to make a quantitative assessment of the ongoing effectiveness of the Ethical Sourcing Program at the conclusion of each financial year.

The Ethical Sourcing Lead regularly engages with suppliers and internal stakeholders to embed the Ethical Sourcing Program in normal business processes. The level of engagement is informed by the risk and maturity assessment of the supplier in relation to their ethical sourcing journey.

Wesfarmers will be releasing its 2025 Modern Slavery Statement highlighting the Group’s efforts in managing modern slavery risks later this 2025 calendar year. The statement will be made in accordance with the Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and will outlines how Wesfarmers and its divisions (including Wesfarmers Health) manages modern slavery risks in their businesses and supply chains.

This financial year, Wesfarmers Health monitored 90 per cent of suppliers that were included in its ethical sourcing program compared to 69 percent last year.

Of those suppliers in the program, 82 per cent of their sites were monitored in the Ethical Sourcing Program compared to 86 per cent in the prior year.

There were 20 reportable breaches recorded this year compared to 41 last year with 95 per cent of reportable breaches remediated (or with remediation underway) compared to 93 per cent last year.

Almost 1,400 team members received modern slavery and ethical sourcing and capacity building training compared to almost 1,300 last financial year.

Click here to view the 2024 Wesfarmers Group Modern Slavery Statement

Animal welfare and testing

Wesfarmers Health is committed to the humane treatment of animals.

The Ethical Sourcing and Modern Slavery Policy encourages suppliers to use alternative testing methods aligned with the internationally recognised ‘3Rs’ principles wherever possible:  

• Replacement: using alternative means to animal testing.
• Reduction: using fewer animals in testing.
• Refinement: using methods that reduce potential pain and suffering of animals subject to testing.

Wesfarmers Health has an Animal Welfare Standard Operating Procedure which requires suppliers to disclose whether their products have been tested on animals and to encourage them to consider the ‘3Rs’ principles.

Own-Brand suppliers are required to disclose their animal welfare commitments, and the extent of any on animal testing associated with their products.

The division continues to collect and analyse baseline data about animal testing across all of its Own-Brand products and strives to align with evolving community expectations on animal welfare.

Animal testing in cosmetics

Wesfarmers Health acknowledges the cosmetic industry’s historical reliance on animal testing to improve product and ingredient safety. While countries like the UK, India, New Zealand and Australia are moving away from animal testing, global discrepancies persist. Wesfarmers Health, mindful of this, cannot guarantee that all cosmetics sold by its businesses are entirely free from or not historically tested on animals.

Animal testing in products other than cosmetics

With respect to pharmaceutical products (that fall outside the definition of cosmetics), Wesfarmers Health recognises the role of animals in scientific research and drug discovery. Suppliers are urged to adhere to local, national and international regulations, and to treat animals with respect. The division encourages the use of alternative testing methods aligned with the “3Rs” principles, and expects suppliers to comply with Australian Standards.