De Beers Child Labour Policy – Workplace Human Rights Policy and UK Modern Slavery Act

De Beers addresses child labour through its Workplace Human Rights Policy and related standards. Its UK Modern Slavery Act statement describes how the company manages modern-slavery risks across its operations, supply chains and wider diamond value chain.

Understanding the De Beers Child Labour Policy

The De Beers Child Labour Policy is primarily reflected in the company’s Workplace Human Rights Policy. The policy establishes requirements concerning minimum employment age, hazardous work and age verification. It forms part of De Beers Group’s wider human-rights framework and is designed to support responsible workplace practices. De Beers’ policy defines child labour by reference to applicable minimum-age requirements and restrictions concerning work that could harm children or interfere with their education.

Workplace Human Rights Policy and Minimum Age

The Workplace Human Rights Policy establishes minimum-age requirements for employment. De Beers states that a person must generally be at least 15 years old, unless local law or compulsory schooling requirements establish a higher age. The policy also addresses situations involving younger people, including internships and work experience. These provisions are intended to distinguish legitimate educational opportunities from employment that could fall within the company’s definition of child labour.

The policy also places additional safeguards around workers under 18. De Beers states that young workers should not perform work that could be hazardous to their health, safety or morals. Restrictions cover activities such as certain night work, underground work and work involving dangerous machinery, equipment or tools. These requirements add a specific protection for young workers beyond the company’s minimum-age provisions.

Age Verification and Workplace Safeguards

Age verification is another element of the framework. De Beers’ Workplace Human Rights Policy describes procedures for verifying the age of prospective employees in its operating countries. These procedures are intended to support compliance with applicable minimum-age requirements and help identify whether prospective workers meet the conditions for employment. The approach places age verification alongside other workplace controls used to support the company’s human-rights commitments.

UK Modern Slavery Act and Child Labour

The UK Modern Slavery Act is separate from De Beers’ Workplace Human Rights Policy. De Beers publishes a Modern Slavery Act statement under the UK reporting framework. Its current statement covers the financial year ending 31 December 2024 and describes the policies, procedures and programmes used to identify and manage modern-slavery risks. The company’s published approach includes the prohibition of child and forced labour.

De Beers’ 2024 statement identifies several policies and standards that underpin its approach to modern-slavery risk. These include the Best Practice Principles Assurance Programme, Responsible and Ethical Sourcing Policy for Diamonds, Workplace Human Rights Policy, Code of Conduct and other human-rights-related policies. The statement presents these measures as part of a broader system for managing human-rights and modern-slavery risks across the group and its value chain.

Child Labour Controls Across the Value Chain

De Beers also applies its Best Practice Principles across its diamond value chain. The company describes these principles as ethical, social and environmental standards covering its own operations and relevant business partners. The programme includes standards addressing human rights and no forced or child labour. De Beers says participating entities provide self-assessments and that selected assessments are independently audited and assured by third parties.

This value-chain approach is important when considering the De Beers Child Labour Policy because responsible sourcing involves more than direct employees. De Beers’ published materials describe requirements applying to relevant businesses and contractors throughout the natural diamond supply and value chains. Its 2024 Modern Slavery Act statement also says the Best Practice Principles are aligned with international human-rights and labour standards, including the UN Guiding Principles and International Labour Organization standards.

A Policy-Based Approach to Child Labour Prevention

Taken together, the Workplace Human Rights Policy and the UK Modern Slavery Act statement describe complementary parts of De Beers’ stated approach. The Workplace Human Rights Policy focuses directly on employment age, protection of young workers and age verification. The Modern Slavery Act statement provides information about the company’s broader approach to identifying and managing modern-slavery risks.

For readers researching the De Beers Child Labour Policy, it is useful to distinguish between these different frameworks. The Workplace Human Rights Policy represents an internal company policy, while the UK Modern Slavery Act provides a separate legal reporting framework. De Beers’ Best Practice Principles add another layer by establishing standards for relevant participants across the diamond value chain.