Social Responsibility & Ethical Policy

• Young persons under the age of 16 shall not be employed and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions.
• To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice.
• Obligation to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of “ labour only” contracting, sub-contracting or home working 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.

Freedom of association and collective bargaining

• Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own and to bargain collectively.
• The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organisational activities.
• Workers’ representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.
• Where the right to the 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.

Working conditions

• 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 minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.
• Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.
• Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water and, the provision of sanitary facilities for food storage.
• The company shall assign responsibility for health and safety to a senior management representative.

Working Hours

• Working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever afford the greater protection.
• In any event, workers shall not, on a regular basis, be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week and shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7 day period, on average.
• Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated.

Discrimination

• There is no discrimination on hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination of employment or retirement based on race, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.

Inhumane treatment of employees

• Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.

Remuneration

• Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is the highest.
• 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 pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
• 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 express permission of the worker concerned.
• All the disciplinary measures will be recorded.

 

Steve Taylor
Managing Director

A&A Business Supplies

 

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