PAPAYA FILMS’ MODERN SLAVERY & HUMAN TRAFFICKING STATEMENT 2023

This statement is inspired by and based on guidelines of the provisions of the UK Modern Slavery Act

Introduction  

Papaya Films is a diverse community passionate about filmmaking. Collaboration, respect, and the shared goal of liberating great ideas are the key fundamentals of our success. Therefore, people are our greatest value.

Driving inspiration is our mission and as inspiring ideas arise from freedom, we firmly stand by the statement that FREEDOM IS FOR EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE AND ALWAYS.

As every company is at risk of being involved in the crime of modern slavery through its operations and its supply chain, at Papaya Films, we have taken steps to identify, prevent and mitigate modern slavery in our operations and supply chains.

Our community and supply chain 

We are committed to working with suppliers who share our values and uphold ethical standards. Our supply chains include: 

• suppliers such as: film crews, transport and catering companies and creators;
• clients such as: advertising agencies, FMCG industry companies, banks and financial institutions, companies from fashion, automotive and cosmetic industry, sales and streaming platforms.

We establish business relationships based on trust and integrity of suppliers. All suppliers are required to respect the law and comply with health, safety, and environmental standards. When selecting our suppliers, we are guided by suppliers’ reputation as well as business references.

Policies on modern slavery and human trafficking

• Whistleblowing – we encourage all employees, customers and suppliers to anonymously report any concerning wrongdoing without fear of retaliation, this includes reporting any suspicion of slavery or human trafficking. We provide a confidential whistleblowing platform to protect the identity of whistle-blowers.  
• Code of Ethics and Responsible Business for Papaya Films’ partners – we encourage our business partners to build a business environment based on the best ethical standards and we develop business relationships with partners who share similar ethical and professional values.
• Papaya Films’ core values: Integrity, Responsibility, Curiosity – we encourage employees to do the right thing by being vocal about the actions and behaviors expected of them when representing our community. We won’t take on morally questionable projects and we don’t work with clients who exploit the underprivileged or promote inequality. 

Risk assessment and management

In the past year, we conducted a risk assessment of our supply chain by taking into account:

• standard of services provided by suppliers and subcontractors, by verifying certifications and quality of services, relying on recommendations and references
• the population of people involved in projects, by being mindful of and attentive to those belonging to susceptible populations (more vulnerable to the threat of modern slavery, such as migrants, students and children).

Awareness and training 

We are dedicated to raising awareness of modern slavery issues and we:

• communicate openly about our labor standards and values (Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities, Inclusive language),
• are transparent about our social impact by ESG reporting and follow external auditor recommendations, 
• prioritize taking up cooperation with smaller service providers (often running a one-person business) who adhere to our recognized work standards and values
• train and educate our employees on using inclusive language, non-violent communication and whistleblowing system, giving effective feedback, 
• evaluate production projects, their progress and cooperation with subcontractors, actors, crew, etc.
• take care of team diversity and proper know-how within the team and in the external interactions
• are a taking part in the action “Biznes nie wyklucza” (ang. “Business doesn’t exclude”), highlighting good practices for building a diverse team and promoting inclusivity,
• foster a sense of impact by engaging employees in aid initiative “Papaya Pomaga” (ang. “Papaya Helps”),
• involve every employee in the fight against Modern Slavery as an ambassador of proper conduct.

Performance Indicators  

To combat modern slavery and human trafficking in our community and supply chain we have set up some performance indicators such as:

• Training completion rate
• Awareness and sensitivity reports
• ESG reporting