Advanda's corporate principles for the placement of care professionals

Advanda is a personnel and management consultancy with focus on recruiting nurses and other health care professionals from countries outside the European Union. We place nursing staff in German health care facilities such as clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and outpatient care units. Our focus is on creating the best possible solution for both sides: We locate exactly the most suitable candidates who match the job profile perfectly for our clients, such as hospitals. Additionally, we accompany the HR department through all administrative procedures. For the nursing staff we place, we offer comprehensive preparation, followed by intensive integration into the daily routine of German clinics, all the way to recognition of the foreign degree in Germany. We see ourselves as a provider of opportunities for both sides: We enable medical and care institutions to cover their staffing needs in an uncomplicated and high-quality manner in order to be able to care for patients in the best possible way. We enable candidates from countries outside the EU to work in their desired profession as nursing professionals in a long-term employment relationship, including all benefits working and living in Germany has to offer.

The following corporate principles represent our commitment to fair and ethical placement of health care staff for us as a non-governmental facilitator in the context of international health care placement. These principles also explicitly apply to our cooperative partners in other countries. We encourage all our partners to implement the following principles and regularly check their compliance.

2 Commitment to the "WHO Global Code of Conduct for the International Recruitment of Health Personnel" ("WHO Code").

Advanda emphasises that we explicitly adhere to the WHO Code. We see it as our responsibility to implement the guidelines of the WHO Code. We are committed to its contents on the international placement of nurses, in particular to

• transparency, fairness and promoting the sustainability of developing countries' health systems (3.5)

• a transparent approach towards nurses in relation to contractual obligations of health workers in their country of origin (4.2)

• obligation to implement the Code regardless of the duration of the employment contract (4.7)

For further content, see the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

3 We commit ourselves to free placement ("employer pays" principle) and to restrict binding clauses

3.1 Commitment to free facilitation

In line with the above principles, the placement of care workers from countries outside the EU is always free of charge for each respective care worker. This is the only way to ensure that the nursing staff is not exposed to any economic pressure that could push them to give up their rights. Advanda is expressly committed to ensuring that all placement services are free of charge for the care personnel we place. Advanda ensures through contracts that only the client remunerates Advanda for its services. We are expressly committed to this "employer pays" principle.

3.2 Commitment to the "Employer Pays" principle and its scope

Advanda is expressly committed to the "Employer pays" principle outlined above. Our contractual agreements with our clients are designed to guarantee the implementation of this principle.

"Employer pays" principle relates to, inter alia, fees, assessments, levies and other financial obligations (hereinafter "costs") incurred in relation to the placement process.

We would like to explicitly mention the following services, which are free of costs for nurses and other health care professionals:

• initial application process

• organization and conduct of interviews

• application for residence permits

• application for work permits

• application for travel permits

• application for exit permits

• visa application

• other services for documents, for example translations and notarial certification

• testing linguistic skills

• examination of content knowledge and skills

• costs for medical reports

• costs for reference, background and other security checks

• costs for transport and travel from home country to Germany, including stay, means of transport and accommodation

• trainings

3.3 Obligation to restrict the use of binding clauses

In order to prevent care professionals placed by Advanda from entering into employment relationships due to economic pressure or financial dependence or remaining in employment relationships that could restrict their personal rights, Advanda enters into contractual agreements with the respective clients in the event of termination of the employment relationship between the health care professional and the client for the reimbursement of costs for placement, migration, training and further education. These may only be charged to an extent that is permissible under German law, in particular German labour law.

This principle also applies to our contractual agreements with cooperation partners abroad. Insofar as there are contracts between care professional and cooperation partners that contain binding clauses, Advanda obliges its cooperation partners to ensure that these clauses must be permissible under the locally prevailing law. This applies in particular to agreements with language schools, even if a third party provider is responsible for the language training.

Advanda regularly reviews its cooperation partners with regard to these principles and ensures the implementation of the "employer pays" principle and the restriction of the use of binding clauses through contractual agreements.

4 International agreements, arrangements and guidelines

In conclusion, as an intermediary of international care personnel, Advanda explicitly refers to international agreements that serve to maintain the protection of the rights of the care professionals placed. Our company principles are based on the following international agreements:

• WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel

• International Human Rights Convention of the UN

• European Convention on Human Rights

• ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, ILO core labor standards, in particular the general principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment in the ILO

• ILO Core Labour Standards (German)

• IRIS Standards (International Organisation of Migration)

5 Regular review and up-to-dateness of these principles

Advanda commits itself to review these corporate principles on a quarterly basis from 01 April 2022, in particular with regard to the topicality of the factual and legal status. This commitment will be regularly evaluated and, if necessary, updated or adapted.

6 Language versions

Advanda makes these corporate principles available in all official national languages that correspond to our recruitment activities.