Business ethics  

We operate our business in compliance with all legal requirements. Our business practices are transparent and in accordance with the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Code of Ethics. We acknowledge and respect the requirements of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention against Corruption, and we require that our employees work actively to ensure continued compliance in all their work.

DHI adheres to all relevant laws and regulations aimed at the protection and promotion of human rights both in the workplace and more broadly in our business activities. Every employee is an important member of the DHI team. We believe diversity and inclusion help to attract, develop and retain talent, generate innovation and help fulfil and exceed client expectations. We are committed to providing equal opportunities regardless of ethnicity, race, national origin, religion or belief, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other characteristic. Our assessment is that the highest risks in respect of human rights are related to DHI’s use of subcontractors and suppliers. Risks relating to human rights are considered within our risk management due diligence process, overseen by the Board of Directors. During the year, DHI has continued to work on protecting and promoting human rights to ensure that we comply with applicable legislation at all times.

We are committed to promoting transparency and accountability globally in DHI and we are committed to making anti-corruption part of the DHI culture and operations. Our assessment is that the highest risks within anti-corruption and bribery relate to the interaction with suppliers and to the receipt of gifts or other benefits. Through our practices and DHI’s Code of Conduct, we show employees, clients and suppliers that DHI applies a zero-tolerance policy on corruption in any form, including bribery and facilitation payments. Our Code of Conduct is communicated to all employees during onboarding and is available on our website.

We demonstrate our commitment to the principles of our Code of Conduct by having established suitable management systems, including adequate training and controls to ensure compliance, and by maintaining necessary documentation to demonstrate our compliance. All employees have a duty to report to management any violations and/or suspected violations of the Code of Conduct or any other unethical behaviour by anyone employed by or working for DHI, clients, distributors, suppliers or subcontractors. Any concerns may be reported anonymously via the DHI Whistleblower Portal, which is publicly available from the DHI website, enabling employees and other stakeholders to report if they become aware of or suspect unlawful/non-confirming activity is taking place in the company. Any concern reported is sent to two members of our external Board of Directors for investigation, who are independent of the daily management of DHI. They initiate an investigation of the matter reported, and reports are kept strictly confidential. There are no retaliation or implications for any person making any such reports. In 2023, one report was submitted via the whistleblower portal (2022: 1).

Every business segment management representative – Operational Excellence Director of the global business units or segment manager – is responsible for monitoring legal requirements applicable to their segment(s) and for ensuring that applicable legal requirements are communicated to relevant parts of the organisation whenever there is a relevant change to these.

DHI has been a signatory to the UN Global Compact since 2013. This requires us to operate responsibly across areas such as human rights, business ethics, labour and environment through the incorporation of the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into our Code of Conduct as well as our strategies, policies and procedures.

Looking to 2024, we will continue to ensure all new employees are aware of our commitments to human rights and anti-corruption. We will continue to promote our whistle-blower scheme through internal communications and employee onboarding training. We will also roll out annual refresher sessions for our online anti-corruption e-learning course.