Vendor labor practice code of conduct for Jones&Mitchell
Sportswear, Inc.
I. Introduction: Jones & Mitchell Sportswear, Inc. ("Jones &
Mitchell") is committed to doing business only with responsible vendors
whose business practices meet Jones & Mitchell standards of ethical
conduct and corporate citizenship. Therefore, in order to be selected
or to continue providing goods for sale to Jones & Mitchell, all vendors
must meet or exceed the following Labor Code of Conduct:
II. Application: This Code of Conduct shall apply to all vendors providing
products and services to Jones & Mitchell. Throughout this Code, the
term "Vendor" shall include all persons or entities who have
accepted Jones & Mitchell purchase orders; as well as their respective
contractors, subcontractors, vendors, manufacturers, sublicensees, and
any related entities throughout the world which produce or sell products
or materials incorporated in products sold to Jones & Mitchell. As
a condition of being permitted to produce and/or sell products to Jones
& Mitchell, each vendor must comply with this Code.
III. Workplace Standards and Practices: Specifically, vendors must operate
workplaces and contract with employers whose workplaces adhere to the
following minimum standards and practices.
A. Legal Compliance: Vendors must comply with all applicable legal
requirements in conducting business related to or involving the production
or sale of products or materials to Jones & Mitchell.
B. Environmental Compliance: Vendors must share Jones & Mitchell's
commitment to the protection and preservation of the global environment
and the world's finite resources and conduct business accordingly.
C. Ethical Principles: Vendors must be committed in the conduct of
their business to a set of ethical standards that are not incompatible
with those of Jones & Mitchell. These include, but are by no means
limited to honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, and respect for the
unique intrinsic value of each human being.
D. Employment Standards: Vendors will only do business with manufacturers
whose workers are in all cases voluntarily present at work, not at risk
of physical harm, fairly compensated, and not exploited in any way.
In addition, the following specific guidelines must be followed:
1. Wages and Benefits: Vendors recognize that wages are essential
to meeting employees' basic needs. Vendors shall pay employees, as
a floor, at least the minimum wage required by local law or the prevailing
industry wage, whichever is higher, and shall provide legally mandated
benefits.
2. Working Hours: Except in extraordinary business circumstances,
hourly and/or quota-based wage employees shall not be required to
work more than the lesser of 48 hours per week and 12 hours overtime
or the limits on regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of
the country of manufacture or, where the laws of such country do no
limit the hours of work, the regular work week in such country plus
12 hours overtime; and be entitled to at least one day off in every
seven day period.
3. Overtime Compensation: In addition to their compensation for regular
hours of work, hourly and/or quota-based wage employees shall be compensated
for overtime hours at such a premium rate as is legally required in
the country of manufacture or, in those countries where such laws
do not exist, at a rate at least equal to their regular hourly compensation
rate.
4. Child Labor: Vendors shall not employ any person at an age younger
than 15 (or 14, where consistent with International Labor Organization
practices for developing countries, the law of the country of manufacture
allows such exception). Where the age for completing compulsory education
is higher than the standard for the minimum age of employment stated
above, the higher age for completing compulsory education shall apply
to this section.
5. Forced Labor: There shall not be any use of forced prison labor,
indentured labor, bonded labor or other forced labor.
6. Heath and Safety: Vendors must comply with applicable local law
in providing workers with a safe and healthy work environment. If
residential facilities are provided to workers, they must be safe
and healthy facilities.
7. Nondiscrimination: While Jones & Mitchell recognizes and respects
cultural differences, all workers must be employed on the basis of
their ability to do the job, rather than on any personal characteristic.
No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including
hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or
retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability,
sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic
origin.
8. Harassment or Abuse: Every employee shall be treated with dignity
and respect. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual,
psychological or verbal harassment or abuse. Vendors will not use
or tolerate any form of corporal punishment or any form of psychological
or physical coercion.
9. Freedom of Association: Vendors shall recognize and respect the
legal right of workers of freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Employees should not be subject to intimidation or harassment in the
peaceful exercise of their right to join or to refrain from joining
any organization.
10. Human Rights: Products and materials shall not be manufactured
or produced in any country where the human rights environment, as
determined by Jones & Mitchell, in it sole discretion, would prevent
the conduct of business activities in a manner that is consistent
with this Code of Conduct.
11. Women's Rights: Women workers shall receive equal remuneration,
including benefits, equal treatment, equal evaluation or the quality
of their work, and equal opportunity to fill all positions as male
workers. Pregnancy tests shall not be a condition of employment, nor
may they be demanded of employees. Workers who take maternity leave
shall not face dismissal nor threat of dismissal, loss of seniority
or deduction of wages, and will be able to return to their former
employment at the same rate of pay and benefits. Workers may not be
forced or pressured to use contraception. Workers shall not be exposed
to hazards, including glues and solvents, which may endanger their
safety, including their reproductive health. Vendors shall provide
appropriate services and accommodations to women workers in connection
with pregnancy.
IV. Full Public Disclosure: Each vendor shall disclose to Jones &
Mitchell the location (including factory name, contact name, address,
phone number, e-mail address, products produced, and nature of business
association) of each factory used in the production of all items supplied
to Jones & Mitchell. Such information shall be updated upon change
of any factory site location. Jones & Mitchell reserves the right
to disclose this information to third parties, without restriction as
to its further distribution.
V. Verification: It shall be the responsibility of each vendor to ensure
its compliance with this Code and to verify that its business partners,
subcontractors and others involved in the production or manufacture of
products or materials for Jones & Mitchell are in compliance with
this Code. Each vendor shall maintain on file such documentation as may
be needed to demonstrate its compliance with this Code and shall make
the documentation available for inspection upon request by Jones &
Mitchell or Jones & Mitchell's designee or external monitor. Jones
& Mitchell designated external monitor shall be authorized to perform
announced and unannounced visits to facilities for the purpose of monitoring
compliance with this Code.
VI. Communication and Notification: Vendors must ensure that the management
staff of each manufacturing facility has read and understood the requirements
of this Code, and that the management staff effectively communicated the
terms of this Code to the workers in the facility.
Affirmation
Every vendor of merchandise to Jones & Mitchell must certify in writing
by signing below that its labor practices meet or exceed these standards;
and they agree that Jones & Mitchell may take any corrective action
deemed appropriate in Jones & Mitchell's discretion, up to and including
termination of the vendor relationship, upon notice of any violation of
these standards, including reports of violations published by human rights
organizations.
Name (Print) :____________________________________________________________________________
Signature:_______________________________________________________________________________
Company:_______________________________________________________________________________
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