(Step 1 OECD Guidelines | UNGP 16)
Human rights in own operations
The Jerónimo Martins Group respects human and labour rights, following the guidelines of the United Nations and the International Labour Organization, within the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO Core Conventions and other applicable treaties, in addition to the local legislation of the countries in which it operates.
Our conduct is guided by principles such as respect for the law and human rights, honesty, integrity, transparency, diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility and independence towards political parties. We prevent discrimination in all its forms, ensuring that career development and recognition are based on merit, fairness, qualifications and equal opportunities. We promote a safe and healthy work environment and do not tolerate any form of harassment. We respect employees’ privacy, working hours and the right to rest, valuing a balanced organisation of time, and we seek to ensure best practices in occupational health and safety for our approximately 148 thousand employees. We also ensure freedom of association and collective bargaining1. For more information on this subject, see “Freedom of association and collective bargaining”.
We seek to prevent risks of forced and child labour, notably through mechanisms that prevent the hiring of individuals below the legally permitted age, and we implement measures to ensure respect for the rights of indigenous peoples.
The human rights topics mentioned above are integrated into our Code of Conduct, which outlines the principles that guide our relationship with all stakeholders. In this regard, we highlight the mandatory training for all employees in the three main countries where we operate relating to the Code of Conduct, which, in 2025, amounted to 83,353 training hours, provided to 118,362 employees.
Respect for and protection of human rights in our operations are also reflected in the remaining policies that govern human resources management within the Group, among which we highlight the Labour Fundamentals Guidelines, described in “Our social-related policies”.
Human and labour rights in the supply chain
In relation to our supply chain, in addition to the provisions set out in the Jerónimo Martins Code of Conduct, three guiding documents stand out: the Supplier Code of Conduct, the Sustainable Sourcing Policy and the Anti-Corruption Policy (all available on the Jerónimo Martins website). Supplier selection is based on criteria of quality, innovation, price, supply capacity, performance, trust, continuity and long-term sustainability.
Under the Sustainable Sourcing Policy, the Group reserves the right to immediately and unilaterally terminate commercial relationships with suppliers whenever it becomes aware that they and/or their own suppliers engage in practices that abuse human, child and/or labour rights and/or fail to incorporate ethical and environmental considerations into their conduct.
In sourcing processes across all Group Companies, selection criteria include acceptance of the Sustainable Sourcing Policy, the Supplier Code of Conduct and the Anti-Corruption Policy. Additionally, in global sourcing processes (sourcing of products serving companies in more than one country), suppliers are also required to declare the absence of forced and child labour in their operations, ensure working hours that comply with the law, and guarantee legally mandated rest days. Among other criteria, suppliers must ensure fair wages, promote a safe work environment (providing, for example, fire-fighting equipment, personal protective equipment, emergency exits, workplace accident insurance and medical assistance for all employees), and be willing, if selected, to undergo social audits and training in this field. In 2025, 203 potential new suppliers were assessed based on these selection criteria.
Preventing and fighting corruption
We are committed to combating all forms of corruption, particularly those directly or indirectly associated with the links that make up the value chain, demanding transparency and integrity in the relationships between the different parties involved and implementing an Integrity Due Diligence Procedure designed to identify corruption risks associated with third parties within the value chain. In our Anti-Corruption Policy, which sets out the principles of conduct and duties established in the Jerónimo Martins Group Code of Conduct regarding honesty and integrity, we establish the principle of zero tolerance towards any practice of corruption, influence peddling, the receipt or offering of undue advantages, or the payment or receipt of any benefits that violate the legal provisions in force in each country or our Code of Conduct.
Jerónimo Martins is a member of the United Nations Global Compact which, among its ten principles, upholds human and labour rights and establishes in its Principle 10 that “businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.” In 2024, Jeronimo Martins Polska joined the Polish network of the Global Compact, representing another step in strengthening this commitment. We report annually on our progress in relation to these principles.
Additionally, the fight against corruption and bribery is part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and is also one of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and one of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
The Group has a Corruption and Related Offences Risk Prevention Plan (PPRC), following the approval in Portugal of the General Regime for the Prevention of Corruption, established by Decree-Law No. 109-E/2021, which identifies and classifies the company’s main and potential risks in this area, taking into account the likelihood of incidents occurring and their expected impact. This plan also lists the measures for preventing and mitigating such risks. In 2025, the annual implementation report of the PPRC was published and is available on the Jerónimo Martins website.
Taxation and fair competition
In tax matters, the Holding’s Tax Department, which works alongside the tax departments of Jeronimo Martins Polska, Jeronimo Martins Colombia and Jeronimo Martins Slovensko, provides advisory support to all the Group’s companies, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation and the optimisation, from a tax perspective, of management actions within the business units. It is also responsible for managing tax litigation and for the Group’s relationship with external consultants and legal advisers, as well as with tax authorities.
The Jerónimo Martins Group believes in free and healthy competition and adopts commercial policies that ensure the protection of consumer rights and respect for competition rules in all jurisdictions where it operates. The principles that guide its activity are described in our Code of Conduct, in the chapter on Competition and Fair Commercial Practices.
1 Since no collective bargaining instruments applicable to the Group’s companies exist in Poland, Colombia, Czechia, Slovakia or Morocco, collective bargaining applies only in Portugal (23.5% of the Group’s total employees).