Code of conduct
Code of conduct
Our Moral Compass
Our code of conduct is regulated by the internationally recognized Ethical Trade Initiative. Founded on the conventions of the International Labour Organization these global guiding principles enable us to establish and outline the fundamental standards and requirements we expect of our value chain.
OUR MORAL COMPASS
We believe innately that departing from the unethical reputation of the fashion industry is a collective task. That the tide will only change if we work in unity with our value chain to foster and facilitate the implementation and consistency of leading ethical standards. Our supplier partnerships are established on the foundations of the ETI base code. Our COC is reviewed and committed to by all existing and future suppliers. We take the initiative to assist all existing and potential supply chain partners in course-correcting and/or re-evaluating their conduct to meet our ethical standards. We perform scheduled and unscheduled audits to ensure the code of conduct is viably adhered to – both for the well-being of those who contribute to our value chain and for the people of tomorrow.
THE CODE
1. EMPLOYMENT IS FREELY CHOSEN
1.1 There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labor.
1.2 Workers are not required to lodge “deposits” or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.
2. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND THE RIGHT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ARE RESPECTED
2.1 Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively.
2.2 The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organizational activities.
2.3 Workers representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.
2.4 Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining.
3. WORKING CONDITIONS ARE SAFE AND HYGIENIC
3.1 A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimizing, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.
3.2 Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.
3.3 Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.
3.4 Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of the workers.
3.5 The company observing the code shall assign responsibility for health and safety to a senior management representative.
4. CHILD LABOUR SHALL NOT BE USED
4.1 There shall be no new recruitment of child labor.
4.2 Companies shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and programs which provide for the transition of any child found to be performing child labour to enable her or him to attend and remain in quality education until no longer a child; “child” and “child labor” being defined in the appendices.
4.3 Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions.
4.4 These policies and procedures shall conform to the provisions of the relevant ILO standards.
5. LIVING WAGES ARE PAID
5.1 Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.
5.2 All workers shall be provided with written and understandable Information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
5.3 Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded.
6. WORKING HOURS ARE NOT EXCESSIVE
6.1 Working hours must comply with national laws, collective agreements, and the provisions of 6.2 to 6.6 below, whichever affords the greater protection for workers. Sub-clauses 6.2 to 6.6 are based on international labor standards.
6.2 Working hours, excluding overtime, shall be defined by contract, and shall not exceed 48 hours per week.*
6.3 All overtime shall be voluntary. Overtime shall be used responsibly, taking into account all the following: the extent, frequency and hours worked by individual workers and the workforce as a whole. It shall not be used to replace regular employment. Overtime shall always be compensated at a premium rate, which is recommended to be not less than 125% of the regular rate of pay.
6.4 The total hours worked in any seven day period shall not exceed 60 hours, except where covered by clause 6.5 below.
6.5 Working hours may exceed 60 hours in any seven day period only in exceptional circumstances where all of the following are met:
• this is allowed by national law;
• this is allowed by a collective agreement freely negotiated with a workers’ organization representing a significant portion of the workforce;
• appropriate safeguards are taken to protect the workers’ health and safety; and
• the employer can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply such as unexpected production peaks, accidents or emergencies.
6.6 Workers shall be provided with at least one day off in every seven day period or, where allowed by national law, two days off in every 14 day period.
7. NO DISCRIMINATION IS PRACTICED
7.1 There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.
8. REGULAR EMPLOYMENT IS PROVIDED
8.1 To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationships established through national law and practice.
8.2 Obligations to employees under labor or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of labor-only contracting, sub- contracting, or homeworking arrangements, or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment.
9. NO HARSH OR INHUMANE TREATMENT IS ALLOWED
9.1 Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.
10. SUBCONTRACTING
10.1 No subcontracting to partners unknown to us.
10.2 Any subcontractor must adhere to this Code of Conduct.
11. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
11.1 Employers must comply with all local laws and internationally recognized environmental practices to protect the environment and have procedures in place to notify local authorities in the event that an accident takes place.
12. MATERIAL SOURCING
12.1 Suppliers must use only designated suppliers for raw materials and components. In the case a vendor wants to source a portion of materials, prior written approval must be obtained to maintain supply chain transparency.
13. DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES
13.1 There must be no use of corporal punishment or any other form of psychological coercion or intimidation against employees.
14. BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
14.1 Employers, including employees and subcontractors will not give or receive any bribes and agree to comply with all applicable laws relating to bribery and corruption.
15. MONITORING COMPLIANCE
15.1 Employers authorise Nomad the Label and their external auditors to conduct scheduled and unscheduled audits to ensure the compliance of this code of conduct. All new Employers will be audited prior to commencement of work and ongoing, once every 12-18 months.
16. CORRECTIVE ACTION
16.1 Where an employer has been found of a violation, we agree to work together on a corrective action plan to resolve the problem. In the event that the code is breached on three occasions, the business relationship will be terminated.
17. FAMILIARISATION OF THIS CODE
17.1 Employers shall familiarize employees with this code of conduct and have it readily visible and accessible, translated into local languages.
(ETI Base Code Terms 1 to 9: © Ethical Trading Initiative; Terms 10 to 17 established by Nomad the Label)