People & ethics / Responsible ownership

We believe that people make a company, so we take care of ours

We are committed to providing a working environment that prioritises the health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff while operating from a foundation of strong business ethics.

Health, safety and wellbeing at work

The wellbeing of our staff is, and always will be, part of the way we do business. We constantly strive to maintain a zero-accident culture by engaging employees in workplace improvements, conducting risk-based assessments of tasks, and providing ongoing safety training.

Public health and safety

We commit to providing the right hygiene tools and expertise to help our customers set high standards for public health and safety, whether they work in food production, public transport, hospitality, or other hygiene-sensitive environments.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

We ensure a respectful and inclusive work environment and do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, or bullying. We are committed to engaging employees with special needs, and our workforce is diverse, represented by both women (59%) and men (41%) of different ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities. We currently employ people from 19 countries.

Good governance

Good corporate governance is essential for sustainable businesses. It fosters transparency and accountability, allowing stakeholders to trust the company's commitment to long-term environmental and social responsibility.

Supply Chain

Responsible supply chain management plays an important role in our sustainability goals. Our supplier code of conduct ensures that suppliers meet ethical and sustainability requirements. Through membership in Sedex and our compliance with SMETA and ILO requirements on ethical training, Vikan's supply chain is consistently audited to ensure best practices.

Vikan ownership

90% of Vikan shares are owned by the Vissing Foundation, a non-profit charitable family foundation that primarily invests in medical research, sustainable energy, and marginalised young people and children. Our unique ownership structure has a key influence on our company values and our way of doing business—we always aim to do the right thing with the future in mind.

Documentation

Sustainability Roadmap

To achieve our goals by 2030, we have outlined projects, milestones, and key performance indicators. These are all gathered in our Roadmap.

Sustainability Policy

Our Sustainability Policy, which includes our Roadmap, guides us on how to integrate sustainability into our organisation and our daily operations on a continual basis.

Annual Sustainability Progress Report

Each of Vikan’s Annual Sustainability Progress Reports contains the prior year’s outcomes along with our commitments for the coming year.

New initiatives and projects

Product take-back programme

Discover Vikan’s Hygiene Tool Take-Back Programme - our sustainability initiative to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency in tool disposal.

Reducing packaging & single-use plastics

Two of our primary areas of focus are aimed at minimising the amount of materials we use and lowering our CO2 emissions.

Food safety education

Learn key hand washing practices for the food industry - vital hygiene lessons from COVID-19 that help prevent cross-contamination and food safety risks.