Employment and the
Workplace
- Equal Employment
Opportunity/Nondiscrimination
We believe
that all terms and conditions of employment
should be based on an individual's ability to do
the job and not on the basis of personal
characteristics or beliefs. We provide employees
with a working environment free of
discrimination, harassment, intimidation or
coercion relating directly or indirectly to
race, religion, sexual orientation, political
opinion or disability.
- Forced Labour
We do not use any
prison, slave, indentured, or forced labor in
the manufacture of any of our products.
- Child Labour
We do not utilize
child labor in the production of any product. We
do not employ any person under the age of 15 (or
14 where local law allows), or the age at which
compulsory schooling has ended, whichever is
greater.
- Hours of Labour
We maintain
reasonable employee work hours based on the
limits on regular and overtime hours allowed by
local law, or where local law does not limit the
hours of work, the regular work week. Overtime,
when necessary, is fully compensated according
to local law, or at a rate at least equal to the
regular hourly compensation rate if there is no
legally prescribed premium rate. Employees are
permitted reasonable days off (at least one day
off in every seven-day period) and leave
privileges.
- Coercion and Harassment
We
acknowledge the value of our staff and treat
each employee with dignity and respect. We do
not use cruel and unusual disciplinary practices
such as threats of violence or other forms of
physical, sexual, psychological or verbal
harassment or abuse.
- Compensation
We fairly compensate
our employees by complying with all applicable
laws, including minimum wage laws, or the
prevailing local industry wage, whichever is
higher.
- Health and Safety
We maintain a
safe, clean and healthy environment in
compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations. We provide adequate medical
facilities, clean restrooms, reasonable access
to potable water, well lit and ventilated
workstations, and protection from hazardous
materials or conditions. The same standards of
health and safety are applied in any housing we
provide for our employees.
Concern for the
Environment
We believe it is our duty to protect the
environment and we do this by complying with all
applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Ethical Business
Practices
- Sensitive Transactions
It is our
policy to prohibit employees from entering into
sensitive transactions -- business dealings
generally considered to be either illegal,
immoral, unethical or to reflect adversely on
the integrity of the Company. These transactions
usually come in the form of bribes, kickbacks,
gifts of significant value or payoffs made to
favorably influence some decision affecting a
company's business or for personal gain of an
individual.
- Commercial Bribery
We prohibit
employees from receiving, directly or
indirectly, anything of value in return for
using or agreeing to use his or her position for
the benefit of that other person. Similarly,
commercial bribes, kickbacks, gratuities and
other payoffs and benefits paid to any customer
are prohibited. However, this does not include
expenditures of reasonable amount for meals and
entertainment of customers if they are otherwise
lawful, and should be included on expense
reports and approved under standard Company
procedures.
- Accounting Controls, Procedures and
Records
We accurately keep books and
records of all transactions and the dispositions
of our assets as required by law, as well as
maintain a system of internal accounting
controls to ensure the reliability and adequacy
of our books and records. We ensure only
transactions with proper management approval are
accounted for in our books and records.
- Use and Disclosure of Inside
Information
We strictly prohibit
disclosure of material inside information to
persons within the company whose positions deny
access to such information. Inside information
is any data that has not been publicly
disclosed.
- Confidential or Proprietary
Information
We take extra care to keep
our customers' trust and confidence in us. Thus,
we prohibit employees from disclosing
confidential or proprietary information outside
the Company that could be harmful to our
clients, or to the Company itself. Such
information may only be shared with other
employees on a need-to-know basis.
- Conflicts of Interest
We designed
our policy to eliminate conflicts between the
interests of employees and the Company. Since it
is difficult to define what constitutes a
conflict of interest, employees should be
sensitive to situations which could raise
questions of potential or apparent conflicts
between personal interests and the Company's
interests. Personal use of Company property or
obtaining Company services for personal benefit
may constitute a conflict of interest.
- Fraud and Similar
Irregularities
We strictly prohibit any
fraudulent activity that might injure our
customers and suppliers, as well as the Company.
We follow certain procedures concerning the
recognition, reporting and investigation of any
such activity.
Monitoring and
Compliance
We adopt a third-party monitoring program to
confirm the Company's compliance with this Code
of Conduct. Monitoring activities may include
announced and unannounced on-site factory
inspection, review of books and records relating
to employment matters, and private interviews
with employees.
Inspection and
Documentation
We designate one
or more of our officers to inspect and certify
that the company's Code of Conduct is being
observed. Records of this certification shall be
accessible to our employees, agents, or third
parties upon request. |
