From the outset, this policy has been based on the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, integrating human rights and respect for fundamental rights, aligned with the rules of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. In several countries, the Groupe has signed specific commitments, such as the Modern Slavery Act in the United Kingdom and Australia, or has certifications such as the BBBEE – level 1 (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) in South Africa, which covers certain human rights issues, such as the fight against human trafficking, or related to labor law, such as the fight against all forms of discrimination. [S2-1-19]
Initially designed in 2014 as a charter, these guidelines have evolved into a policy, still based on the Ten Key Principles of the United Nations Global Compact. This CSR for Business Guidelines policy is included as an appendix to all calls for tender and is part of the contractual clauses signed between Publicis Groupe and its strategic suppliers. This document is publicly available in the CSR section’s library on the Groupe’s website and is communicated to suppliers when contracts are renewed. Non-compliance with any one of these 17 points is a non-selection criterion.
The annual review takes into account feedback shared by buyers, suppliers or partners. In 2023, the issue of accessibility/e-accessibility was redefined and other points were strengthened around the human rights and working conditions of supplier employees. In 2025, the review focused on alignment with the requirements of the European CSRD Directive. [S2-1-AR 12]
There is regular dialogue with these workers in the value chain, with whom trusting and sometimes long-term relationships have been established. The quality and fluency of discussions are assets that ensure the success of business cooperation. A transparent attitude is required so that the supplier informs the Groupe or its subsidiaries in the event of difficulties encountered, whether technical, logistical or other. The Groupe’s whistleblowing system is publicly accessible to all on the website at https//publicisgroupe.com, CSR Section. [S2-3-27 (a) & (c)]
As part of its Duty of Care Plan, Publicis Groupe launched a series of external social audits of its suppliers at the end of 2024. The Facilities Management or General Services supplier category (reception, security, cleaning, catering) was chosen on the basis of proximity, because employees of these suppliers are seconded to the offices and have daily interactions with employees of the Groupe and its subsidiaries. [S2-30; S2-31; S2-32 (a)&(b)& (c)&(d); S2-33 (a)&(b)&(c); S2-34 (a)&(b)]
SGS was mandated to conduct these on-site audits, which took place on about twenty suppliers present in our premises, and in the following countries: United States, Canada, India, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland. Upstream of this process, the relevant employees received a Publicis document from their employer setting out 15 key principles related to human rights and fundamental freedoms. This document is based on the SA8000 standard; It incorporates several key issues such as forced labor, child labor, adequate wages, and worker safety. These employees were questioned by the external auditors during qualitative interviews. These same employees were invited to answer a very simple survey, available on their mobile phone or by email, in order to collect their opinions.
These on-site audits and the questionnaire were an opportunity to gather their opinions, and to communicate to them the external and independent alert channels available and for their use in the event of a problem. These mechanisms guarantee confidentiality, protection of personal data and protection against retaliation. The Publicis Groupe whistleblowing system can be accessed by supplier employees via the external platform Ethics Concerns: https://publicis.whispli.com/lp/ethicsconcerns. This address can be accessed from the Groupe’s website, in the Whistleblowing System Policy. Under this approach, supplier employees have three options to report their concerns anonymously: the external audit, the questionnaire survey and the whistleblowing system.
The management of these reports is explained in Section 4.4.2.1. [S2-3-AR 25, S2-3-25, S2-3-26, S2-3-27 (b), S2-3-28]
In 2025, the Company received a report from one of its suppliers (see Section 4.4.2.1). [S2-4-36]
