1. Legal Requirements

1.1 All local laws and regulations regarding labour, health, safety and the environment must be observed by suppliers. Suppliers must comply with the legal requirements of the countries in which they operate in addition to all elements of this Ethical Sourcing Policy.

1.2 Supplier must ensure that they meet their contractual obligations to M & S Mercantile Ltd T/A Early Years Resources and to their own suppliers.

 

2. Employment/Labour

2.1 Suppliers shall not use forced, Bonded or Involuntary Labour.

2.2 Employment shall be freely chosen by the worker.

2.3 Workers shall not be required to lodge deposits or identity papers with suppliers.

2.4 Workers shall be free to leave their employment after reasonable notice has been given.

 

3. Child Labour

3.1 Suppliers shall not use child labour in the production or distribution of their goods or services

3.2 Suppliers must not hire any employee under the age of 14 (regardless of the country’s minimum working age) or under the minimum age according to the laws of the supplier’s country.

3.3 Suppliers must take steps to verify the age of all employees to ensure no child labour is used.

 

4. Illegal Labour

4.1 Suppliers must be able to verify the legal entitlement of their employees to work in the country of employment.

 

5. Wages and Benefits

5.1 Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week must meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher, including all mandated wage allowances and benefits.

5.2 In any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.

5.3 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.

5.4 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. 

5.5 All disciplinary measures should be recorded.

 

6. Working Hours

6.1 Working hours must comply with national laws and industry standards, whichever affords greater protection.

6.2 Overtime shall be voluntary and compensated as prescribed by local laws.

 

7. Freedom of Association

7.1 Suppliers acknowledge that workers have a right to freedom of association and to bargain collectively.

7.2 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.

 

8. Working Conditions

8.1 Suppliers are to provide a safe and healthy working environment.

8.2 Workers shall receive adequate, recorded training to perform their jobs in a safe manner.

8.3 PPE shall be provided and workers trained in its use.

8.4 Safeguards on machinery must meet or exceed local laws.

8.5 Where suppliers provide worker accommodation, it shall be clean, safe and meet the basic needs of workers.

8.6 Workers shall have access to clean toilet facilities, clean drinking water and where appropriate sanitary facilities for food storage and preparation.

 

9. Discrimination

9.1 Suppliers must ensure that 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.

 

10. Regular Employment

10.1 To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice.

10.2 Obligations 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.

 

11. Harsh or Inhumane Treatment

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

 

12. Business Integrity

12.1 Suppliers shall not engage in bribery or corruption and provide transparent documentation and records and shall engage in professional business ethics in all dealings.

 

The provisions of this code constitute minimum and not maximum standards, and this code should not be used to prevent companies from exceeding these standards. Companies applying this code are expected to comply with national and other applicable law and, where the provisions of law and this Base Code address the same subject, to apply that provision which affords the greater protection.