IDÉ HOUSE OF BRANDS GUIDELINES FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICE
IDÉ House of Brands works to have a sustainable business practice that respects people, society and the environment. This document with guidelines including principles for sustainable business practice and forms the basis for our sustainability work.
IDÉ House of Brands considers sustainable business practices to be a prerequisite for sustainable development, which means the today's generations get their needs covered without destroying future generations' ability to get theirs covered. The UN's sustainability goals are the world's joint action plan for sustainable development. IDÉ House of Brands works actively with the sustainability goals:
Goal 8 Decent work and economic growth
Goal 12 Responsible consumption and production
Goal 13 Stop climate change
Goal 17 Cooporation to achieve the goals
As the means of Ethical Trade Norway, IDÉ House of Brands is committed to working actively with due diligence assessments for sustainable business practices. Careful assessments are a risk-based approach to respecting and caring for people, society and the environment in our own business and in the entire supply chain. We expect our suppliers and partners to follow the same approach.
Requirements for own business
IDÉ House of Brands recognizes that our business practices may have a potential negative impact on people, society and the environment. At the same time, we see our potential to contribute to positive development in the supply chain. Based on this, we have prepared the following principles and requirements for our own business:
Caution assessments
IDÉ House of Brands will conduct due diligence assessments for sustainable business practices. That is: make your own risk assessments of negative impact on people, society and the environment, and stop, prevent and reduce such impact. The measures are monitored and the effect of is assessed, and communicated to those affected. Where our activities cause or contribute to a negative impact on people, society or the environment, we will stop this activity, and will seek to repair the damage. Where the supplier is responsible for the negative impact/damage, the supplier is also responsible for recovery.
Responsible purchasing practice
IDÉ House of Brands considers responsible purchasing practice to be one of our most important tools in the work for sustainable business practice. IDÉ House of Brands will adapt its own procurement practices so that we strengthen, and not undermine, suppliers' ability to deliver on the requirements we set to ensure good conditions for people, society and the environment. We will strive for long-term supplier relationship with suppliers who show particular willingness and ability to work with positive development in the supply chain.
Free trade union organization and worker representation
IDÉ House of Brands supports the right to free trade union and other forms of democratically elected workers' representatives and other relevant stakeholders in our work with sustainable business practices.
Supplier development and partnership
In dialogue with suppliers, we will, if necessary, consider contributing relevant competence development or resources that enable our suppliers to comply IDÉ House of Brands' requirements for conditions in the supply chain. In this way, we lay the foundation for good collaboration with suppliers who show particular willingness and ability to work with positive development for people, society and the environment in the supply chain.
Anti-corruption
IDÉ House of Brands, including all employees, shall never offer or receive illegal or unlawful monetary gifts of other compensation to obtain business of private benefits for its own part or benefits for customers, agents or suppliers.
Country under trade boycott
IDÉ House of Brands, including our suppliers and partners, shall avoid trading partners that have activites in countries that are subject to a trade boycott by the UN and/or the Norwegian authorities.
Requirements for conditions in the supply chain
We expect our suppliers and partners to work purposefully and systematically to comply with our supplier guidelines, including principles for sustainable business practices, which cover basic requirements for human rights, employee rights, anti-corruption, animal welfare and the environment. Our supplier must:
- Follow supplier guidelines including principles for sustainable business practices.
- Work actively with due diligence assessments, that means: make your own risk assessments for negative impact on people, society and the environment, and stop, prevent and reduce such impact. The measures must be monitored and the effect of, and communicated to, those affected. Where the supplier is responsible for the negative impact/damage, the supplier is also responsible for recovery.
- Demonstrate the will and ability for continuos improvement for people, society and the environment through collaboration.
- At the request of IDÉ House of Brands could document how they themselves, and possibly subcontractors, work to comply with the guidelines.
If the supplier, after repeated inquiries, does not show willingness or ability to comply with guidelines for suppliers, termination of the contract may occur.
Principles of sustainable business practices (Code of Conduct)
These principles of sustainable business practice are based on UN and ILO conventions and set minimum and non-maximum standards. The legislation at the place of production must be respected. Where national laws and regulations cover the same subject matter as these guidelines, the highest standard shall apply.
1. Forced labor/slave labor (ILO convention nos. 29 and 105)
1.1. There shall be no form of forced labor, slave labor or involuntary labor.
1.2. Workers shall not have a submit a deposit or identify documents to the employeer and shall be free to terminate the employment relationship with a reasonable period of notice.
2. Trade union organization and collective bargaining (ILO convention nos. 87, 98, 135 and 154)
2.1. Workers shall, without exception, have the right to join or establish trade unions at their own request, and to bargain collectively. The employeer shall not interfere in, hinder or oppose trade unions of collective bargaining.
2.2. Trade union representatives shall not be discriminated against or prevented from carrying out their trade union work.
2.3. If the right to free organization and/or collective bargaining is limited by law, the employer shall facilitate and not impede alternative mechanisms for free and independent organization and negotiation.
3. Child labor (UN convention on the rights of the child, ILO convention nos. 138, 182 og 79, ILO recommendations nos. 146)
3.1. The minimum age for workers shall not be less than 15 years and in line with the national minimum age for employment, or; minimum age for compulsory schooling, with maximum age is set at 14 years in line with the exception in ILO convention 138, this can be accepted.
3.2. New recruitment of child workers in violation of the above minimum age shall not take place.
3.3. Children under the age of 18 must not perform work that is detrimental to their health, safety or morals, including night work.
3.4. Action plans shall be established for the early phasing out of child labor that are in violation of ILO conventions 138 and 182. The action plans shall be documented and communicated to relevant personnel and other stakeholders. Arrangements shall be made for support schemes where children are given the opportunity for education until the child is no longer of compulsory school age.
4. Discrimination (ILO convention nos. 100 and 111 and UNs convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women)
4.1. There shall be no discrimination in respect of employment, remuneration, training, promotion, demissal or retirement based on ethnicity, caste, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, trade union work of political affiliation.
4.2. Protection shall be established against sexually intrusive, threatening, abusive or exploitative behavior, and against discrimination or termination on unreasonable grounds, such as marriage, pregnancy, partenal status or status as HIV-infected.
5. Brutal treatment (Declaration of Human rights/UDHR)
5.1. Physical abuse or punishment, or the threat of physical abuse is prohibited. The same applies to sexual or other abuse and other forms of humiliation.
6. Health, safety and environment (ILO convention nos. 155 and recommendations nos. 164)
6.1. Efforts shall be made to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for workers. Hazardous chemicals and other substances must be handled properly. Necessary measures must be implemented to prevent and minimize accidents and damage to health as a result of, or related to, conditions in the workplace.
6.2. Workers must have regular and documented training in health and safety. Health and safety training shall be repeated for newly employed and relocated workers.
6.3. Workers must have access to clean sanitary facilities and clean drinking water. If relevant, the employer must also take care of access to facilities for safe storage or food.
6.4. If the employer offers accommodation, this must be clean, safe, adequately ventilated and with access to clean sanitary facilities and clean drinking water.
7. Payment (ILO convention nos. 131)
7.1. Payment for workers for a normal working week must at least be in line with national minimum wage regulations for industry standards, whichecer is higher. Payment must always be sufficient to cover basic needs, including some savings.
7.2. Payment conditions and payment of salary must be agreed in writing before the work begins. The agreement must be understandable to the worker.
7.3. Deductions from salary as a disciplinary action are not permitted.
8. Working time (ILO convention nos. 1 and 14)
8.1. Working hours must be in line with national laws or industry standards, and not exceed working hours in accordance with applicable international conventions. Normal working hours per week should should not normally exceed 48 hours.
8.2. Workers must have at least one day off per 7 days.
8.3. Overtime must be limited and voluntary. The recommended maximum overtime is 12 hours per week, that means total working hours of 60 hours per week. Exceptions from this can be accepted if it is regulated by a collective agreement or national law.
8.4. Workers must always overtime pay for working hours above normal working hours (see section 8.1 above), at least in accordance with applicable laws.
9. Regular employment
9.1. Obligations to workers, in line with international conventions, national laws and regulations on regular employment shall not be circumvented through the use of short-term commitments (such as the use of contract workers, freelancers and day workers), subcontractors of other employment relationships.
9.2. All workers are entitled to an employment contract in a language they understand.
9.3 All workers must be covered by statutory insurance and social schemes.
9.4 Apprenticeship programs must be clearly defined in terms of duration and content.
10. Marginalized population groups
10.1. The production and use of natural resources shall not contribute the resource and income base of indigenous peoples or other marginalized population groups, for example by example by seizing large areas of land, unsustainable use of water or other natural resources on which the population groups depend.
11. Environment
11.1. Negative environmental impact must be reduced throughout the value chain. In line with the precautionary principle, measures must be implemented to continuosly minimize greenhouse gas emissions and local pollution, the use of harmful chemicals, pesticides and to ensure sustainable resource extraction and management of water, sea, forest and land, and the conservation of biological diversity.
11.2. National and international environmental legislation and regulations must be complied with and relevant discharge permits must be obtained.
12. Corruption
12.1. All forms of bribery are unacceptable, such as the use of alternative channels to secure illegitimate private or work-related benefits to customers, agents, contractors, suppliers or their employees as well as public servants.
13. Animal welfare
13.1. Animal welfare must be respected. Measures should be implemented to minimize the negative impact on the welfare of production animals and working animals.
13.2. National and international animal welfare legislation and regulations must be complied with.