Veritas is the largest medicine and health care products supplier in Iceland: 60% of all medicines imported to Iceland are stored at and distributed from our warehouses. One of the challenges this year was to prevent COVID-19 infections at our warehouses and keep them operating at full capacity. Any warehouse operation disruption would mean a breakdown in the supply chain, with an extensive impact on the national health care system. Perhaps this is the best way to convey the importance of Veritas social responsibility as a backstop of the health care system in Iceland. Our warehouses' mission is to receive and quality-check the products, while complying with the procedures in place for each product category, as stringent quality requirements apply to the processing of medicinal products and medical devices. These processes are electronic, and reference values for temperatures for medicinal products are usually very precisely defined: manufacturers both establish acceptable limits and decide whether their medicinal products are in order in case of any deviation during shipment.

"Product labelling has to fulfill specific requirements, and we observe very strict requirements for labelling. Organisation and speed are of utmost importance in the operation of warehouses because there is always someone sitting and waiting at the other end, be it a medicinal product or a missing spare part for an operating table. Despite demands for an expedite delivery, we cannot cut corners in our processes just because someone is waiting. We can be flexible when things just need to be done by asking our staff to start a bit earlier and leave a bit later, or we can assign more people to finish a given task to process a batch of products more quickly. However, we are always bound by the quality system we must comply with," says Birgir Hrafn Hafsteinsson, Warehouse Manager, Distica.

Stoð has since its inception cared for social responsibility by manufacturing support devices for handicapped individuals who thus have freedom to live their lives without hindrance despite their disability.

"Given the social impact of our operations, we are a crucial actor in the efforts to make it possible for the disabled to enjoy a good quality of life. We depend to our team of Support Devices Specialists to cater for this population. There are few Support Devices Specialists in Iceland, as individuals have to travel abroad to pursue studies in this area. We support Support Devices Specialists in their studies, e.g. one specialist is supported in their studies by Veritas this year. During their course, the specialists learn how to diagnose handicaps, as well as manufacture the support devices our customers require," says Ólafía Ása Jóhannesdóttir, General Manager, Stoð.

Vistor is the Icelandic partner of a number of international pharmaceutical companies. Vistor provides them regulatory, sales and marketing, and clinical operations services. We also broker import and distribution of medicinal products. It is a crucial social responsibility factor in our operations to ensure the safe import of medicinal products to Iceland, and thereby our country's access to proprietary medicinal products. Our focus is on compliance with international law and we operate in accordance with a strict code of conduct. It is important that our business is as transparent as possible, and consistent with the best governance practices and commercial reliability. Vistor does not partake in businesses which might be detrimental to our reputation or impair the credibility of our operations.

Vistor is determined to remain a leader within our group of companies in the marketing of medicinal products, health products, and veterinary products in Iceland. Our suppliers are all big international pharmaceutical companies which warrants access to the most novel medicinal products at all times. We do business exclusively with reputable suppliers which provide very precise standards that Vistor must observe in its day-to-day operations.

Artasan is licensed and accredited by the Garðabær Town Public Health Authority to import and market health products. All health products are reported to The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, and before their import is authorized, a verification is conducted to determine whether their ingredients are included in the list of approved substances, and that the amount of vitamins and minerals in daily defined doses recommended on product's packaging is under the upper safety limits for vitamins and minerals. It is also determined whether the products contain any ingredients classified as drugs, and, in case of doubt, respective products are submitted to classification by the competent regulatory authority. Before marketing can be started, it is necessary to verify whether product labeling and any marketing statements are compliant with applicable standards.

An Icelandic act will soon come into effect to enforce the novel European medical devices regulation in the country. Those European regulations entered into force in 2017 with a transitional period until May 2021. The purpose of those regulations is to ensure that medical devices are safe to use. Medical devices will be registered in a centralised European database to enable both the general public and users to obtain information about the medical devices they use. All medical devices must be CE-labelled to ensure that they meet the established requirements. The Icelandic authorities may introduce in their national regulation provisions regarding the language of the guidelines for use. The Icelandic Medicines Agency is the supervisory authority for medicinal devices and their advertising in Iceland. Veritas will follow the new laws and as of now a working group is implementing it across the group.

Veritas and subsidiaries' Equality Policy's goal is to ensure that all their staff, whichever their gender and gender identity, enjoy equality without regard to their sexual orientation, age, belief, opinions, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, skin colour, economic status, origin, family relationships, or any other individual characteristics. All employees shall enjoy equal rights at all times within our group of companies. Veritas believes that, by promoting equality, everyone's capabilities, talents, and knowledge will thrive in a reassuring, enjoyable, and fair workplace environment.

Veritas and subsidiaries' Equality Policy applies to all employees working within our group of companies, whether they have a staff job or a temporary engagement. It is an integral part of Veritas Equality Policy to commission periodical wage audits by independent external consultants. Veritas also takes part and supports special projects aiming at promoting equality in the community, e.g. "The Equalise Award" (Jafnvægisvog).

Veritas CEO is responsible for making sure that the Equality Policy is fully observed and adhered within our group of companies. General managers and department managers are on the watch to make sure Veritas Equality Policy is complied with in their respective spheres of competence.

Our Human Resources Manual was revised during last year

Our Human Resources Manual was updated last year. The Veritas Human Resources Manual contains a variety of useful information regarding the workplace. These include information about the values cherished by our group of companies, our human resources policy, equality policy, codes of conduct, and environmental policy, as well as our policy and action plan in case of mobbing and harassment at the workplace.

Our Human Resources Manual also contain information regarding workplace routines, such as staff interviews, Veritas Intranet, staff meetings, data safety, meeting rooms, and cafeteria, to name but a few.

Competitive wages

One of Veritas’ goals is to pay competitive wages based on what employees are paid for comparable jobs in the Icelandic marketplace. Veritas takes part in the annual survey "Market Wages in Iceland" and conducts in its wake wages analyses for all jobs within our group of companies. When hiring, we comply with all laws, regulations, and collective agreements in every way. We look into any potential conflicts of interest, and make sure that selection of staff is based on objective grounds. For more information regarding rights of the employees, please refer to Veritas Code of Conduct.

We also pay 20% of the wages during parental leave, and support our employees with school grants. Veritas operates in compliance with the provisions contained in current collective agreements signed by and between The Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) and respective labour unions. In our group of companies, the majority of employees (about 70%) are members of The Store and Office Workers’ Union (VR). However, many employees are also members of professional unions such as The Icelandic Pharmaceutical Society (LfÍ), The Association of Chartered Engineers in Iceland (VFÍ), The Icelandic Nurses' Association (FÍH), The Union of Natural Scientists in Iceland (FÍN), and The Union of Icelandic Electrical Workers (Rafís), to mention but a few. Some employees have opted out of labour union membership.

Workplace health promotion

Veritas promotes physical activities and other health-boosting factors among its employees. Physical fitness subventions are granted annually e.g in the form of reimbursement for gym membership, swimming pool membership, and other modalities of health-boosting activities.

Veritas regularly takes part in health-promoting campaigns such as the Bike-To-Work Month and the Motion for Life campaign. Internal competitions are promoted among our subsidiaries during those campaigns, with awards for the best ones. Every year, Veritas takes part in the Íslandsbanki-sponsored Reykjavík Marathon both to promote health and to support good causes. A special preparation committee works hard during the countdown to the marathon, offering support to the participants, preparing training plans, organising regular training sessions, presentations etc.

Physical activity and health-related subjects were also reinforced during a special internal campaign called Healthy Winter. Within the scope of the campaign, our subsidiaries organised the Healthy Games during which the employees kept a log of all their different physical and health-boosting activities, with awards for the best ones. Educational talks, yoga sessions, and golf lessons, to name but a few, were also offered as part of the campaign.

Each year, Veritas offers vaccines against influenza which enjoy an excellent acceptance among our staff. Every week, each individual work unit receives a basket of fruits. 

Rights and respect

Veritas Code of Conduct establishes that all efforts are undertaken to treat our staff and customers with respect and tolerance. Harassment, mobbing, and backbiting are not accepted under any circumstances and must be reported to next-of-command or Veritas Human Resources Manager. All our employees receive appreciation and we take pains to promote diversity.

"We do not discriminate on the grounds of sex, origin, religion, or political beliefs. Employees of both genders are given equal opportunities for increasing their responsibilities and progressing in their occupations. Attempts are made to prevent accidents at work and we protect the mental and physical health of employees. We ensure good working conditions for all employees, respect their freedom of association and encourage them to familiarize themselves with their contractual rights. We support and administer the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations and International Labour Organization. We honour maximum hours worked and minimum wage that has been agreed upon. We do not approve and oppose hard labour, human trafficking, and child slavery. A healthy work-life balance is promoted," as stated in Veritas Code of Conduct.