Modern Slavery Statement

Modern slavery statement for financial year 2023/24 

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that Life Fitness UK has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain. 

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. Life Fitness has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain. 

Our Business 
Life Fitness, based in Ely, Cambridgeshire since 1992, is dedicated to the sale and supply of fitness equipment as well as creating solutions to help people lead active and healthy lives. For more than 45 years, Life Fitness has been dedicated to creating fitness solutions that benefit both facilities and exercisers, across our two brands: Life Fitness and Hammer Strength. Today, we operate in over 120 countries and employ more than 2500 people worldwide. Globally, we are a market leader in fitness. 

We manufacture and sell fitness equipment worldwide, through a variety of direct offices as well as distributors. Our award-winning manufacturing sites are in the USA, Hungary and various locations across Asia. We sell into a variety of establishments including local authorities, emergency services, Ministry of Defence, Pro-sports, hotels, holiday parks, corporate and residential sectors. 

The majority of our products are purchased from within the Life Fitness Group of companies, who either manufacture the products from our production plants or control the purchasing agreement with our suppliers, ensuring material compliance with the Modern Slavery Act. 

The purchase of any other product is controlled by the Life Fitness Product Marketing team to ensure that we meet the Company’s rules. 

Our organisation is committed to ensuring that our suppliers adhere to the highest standards of ethics. Locally agreed suppliers are required to confirm on a yearly basis that they provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and act ethically and legally in their use of labour. Any serious violations of the organisation's supplier code of conduct will lead to the termination of the business relationship. 

Our Policies 
The organisation operates the following policies that describe its approach to the identification of modern slavery risks and steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in its operations: 

• Whistleblowing - The organisation encourages all its workers, customers, and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of the organisation. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. The organisation's whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for workers to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation. Employees, customers, or others who have concerns can use our confidential helpline. 
• Employee code of conduct -The organisation's code makes clear to employees the actions and behaviour expected of them when representing the organisation. The organisation strives to maintain the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behaviour when operating abroad and managing its supply chain. 
• Recruitment/Agency workers policy - The organisation uses only specified, reputable employment agencies to source labour and verifies the practices of any new agency it is using before accepting workers from that agency. 

Our Suppliers 
Life Fitness UK works with a pre-agreed preferred supplier list. This list is approved, controlled, and maintained by the Life Fitness Group. We conduct due diligence on suppliers before allowing them to become a preferred supplier. 

As part of our contract with suppliers, we require that they confirm to us that: 

1. They have taken steps to eradicate modern slavery within their business 
2. They hold their own suppliers to account over modern slavery 
3. They pay their employees at least the national minimum wage / national living wage (as appropriate) 
4. We may terminate the contract at any time should any instances of modern slavery come to light. 

Taking Action 
As part of our procurement process, we will only engage with suppliers and contractors who confirm their compliance with the Act. 

Training 
The organisation trains its employees in a variety of areas, including ethical business conduct. Employees and management participating in the Company’s international trade and supply chain are trained regarding the risks of doing business in high-risk countries and/or with high-risk trading partners, including risk mitigation efforts. The Company maintains a Supplier Code of Conduct that sets forth supplier responsibilities and consequences, including related to labour and human rights. In addition, the Code of Conduct states that employees may be disciplined, up to termination, for failure to abide by the Code. The Company maintains a robust ethics and compliance program which encourages reporting and is designed to identify and promptly address unethical or unlawful business practices, including labour practices. 

 

Approval for this statement 

This statement was approved by: 

Name: Craig Cocking, Director 

Date: 01 April 23