AF's operations and employees shall be distinguished by good ethical conduct. This also applies to our subcontractors. AF does not want to be associated with fly-by-night partners, and we have therefore implemented barriers to prevent that our suppliers or subcontractors commit any economic or financial crime.

AF has acceded to the UN Global Compact, the world's largest initiative for corporate social responsibility.

Corporate Culture is the Key

Our employees represent AF Gruppen in all business contexts, and it is essential that all the employees are familiar with and identity with AF's Code of Conduct. When they are hired, employees

must sign a declaration that they are familiar with and comply with the Code of Conduct, and this is a topic that is covered at the introductory course for new employees. Suppliers and subcontractors are also required to comply with the Code of Conduct through AF’s Supplier Statement. In the assessment of candidates for acquisition, decisive importance is placed on whether the acquired company’s corporate culture and core values are in accordance with those of AF.

AF participates in competitive tenders, and there is therefore a potential risk that some individuals may enter into anticompetitive agreements or act in collusion with other companies. Our Code of Conduct forbids the company's employees to discuss, propose or enter into agreements with competitors that may affect the competitive situation. There is zero tolerance for price collusion and corruption.

Measures Against Work-Related Crime

The procurement of goods and services accounts for around 70% of the revenues of AF. AF is responsible for the entire contract pyramid for our projects. We will only do business with suppliers that follow the same ethical guidelines as we do. AF’s goal is to avoid all forms of workrelated crime.

Efforts to prevent work-related crime were reinforced in 2014 through AF's seriousness initiative. Organisational and structural measures were implemented to ensure that AF only cooperates with serious actors. Among other things, a position was created in the Group that has work-related crime as its speciality, and each business unit has its own seriousness manager.

They meet regularly through AF's network organisation for work-related crime. The purpose of the forum is to learn from each other, and to maintain and develop common barriers against work-related crime. AF offers work-related crime courses at least twice a year.

We work proactively and reactively to ensure compliance with our ethical guidelines among our suppliers. Routines are used proactively for the prequalification and approval of subcontractors.

AF permits only two levels of subcontractors. We use StartBANK, as well as a prequalification module in StartBANK that we have developed ourselves, to asses our suppliers before they are approved. When subcontractors are approved and given access to a building site, they are followed up reactively through spot checks and controls to verify that the operations are carried out in accordance with the framework conditions by verifying pay and working conditions, among other things.

If “red incidents” are uncovered nonetheless, i.e. indications or incidents of work-related crime  among our subcontractors, this will have consequences. The agreement with the actor in question will be terminated, and an investigation will be launched. Since the seriousness initiative in 2014, we have uncovered two red incidents in AF projects. AF wishes to reject fly-by-night actors, and in time we hope that the fly-by-night actors reject us. We will achieve this by being consistent in our treatment of any identified non-conformance.