EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP: Employers shall adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights under national and international labor and social security laws and regulations.
NONDISCRIMINATION: No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, compensation, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, social group or ethnic origin. The pregnancy of an employee shall not be used as a basis for disciplinary treatment or termination of employment. Employers shall use their best efforts to reinstate workers who have taken maternity leave to the same or similar position at the same rate of pay and benefits. No employee or prospective employees shall be subjected to involuntary use of contraceptives or pregnancy testing.
HARASSMENT OR ABUSE: Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse. Employers will not use or tolerate any form of corporal punishment.
FORCED LABOR: There shall be no use of forced labor, including prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or other forms of forced labor.
CHILD LABOR: No person shall be employed under the age of 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.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: Women workers will receive: equal remuneration, including benefits; equal treatment; equal evaluation of the quality of their work; and equal opportunity to fill all positions open to male workers. Pregnancy tests will not be a condition of employment, nor will they be demanded of employees. Workers who take maternity leave will 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 after the maternity leave has ended. Workers will not be forced or pressured to use contraception. Workers, especially pregnant women, will not be exposed to hazards, including glues and solvents, that may endanger their safety (including their reproductive health), unless thorough protections are in place. Employers will provide appropriate services and accommodation to women workers in connection with pregnancy.
SUPPLY CHAIN DISCLOSURE: Employer must provide the following information and update such information immediately when any change occurs:
a. The company names, owners and/or officers of Employer and their Contractors; addresses, phone numbers, email addresses of Employer and their Contractors; and the nature of the business associations and their roles in the manufacturing process;
b. The manufacturing plants of Employer and their Contractors involved in all levels of the manufacturing process of items (including raw materials, blank goods, and decorations) that bear, or will bear, the name, Trademarks and/or images of our licensed Colleges and Universities;
c. A written description of sourcing practices;
d. A written description of systems and procedures used by Employer and their Contractors to ensure ongoing compliance with this Code and to correct any instances of non-compliance with this Code; and
e. Upon request, internal and external monitoring reports regarding Employer’s and their Contractors’ compliance with this Code.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: Employers shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining. No employee shall be subject to harassment, intimidation or retaliation as a result of his or her efforts to freely associate or bargain collectively.
HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT: Employers shall provide a safe and healthy workplace setting to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of employers’ facilities. If residential facilities are provided to workers, they must be safe and healthy facilities. Employers shall adopt responsible measures to mitigate negative impacts that the workplace has on the environment.
HOURS OF WORK: Employers shall not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country where the workers are employed. The regular work week shall not exceed 48 hours. Employers shall allow workers at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every seven-day period. All overtime work shall be consensual. Employers shall not request overtime on a regular basis and shall compensate all overtime work at a premium rate. Other than in exceptional circumstances, the sum of regular and overtime hours in a week shall not exceed 60 hours.
COMPENSATION: Every worker has a right to compensation for a regular work week that is sufficient to meet the worker’s basic needs and provide some discretionary income. Employers shall pay at least the minimum wage or the appropriate prevailing wage, whichever is higher, comply with all legal requirements on wages, and provide any fringe benefits required by law or contract. Where compensation does not meet workers’ basic needs and provide some discretionary income, each employer shall work with the FLA to take appropriate actions that seek to progressively realize a level of compensation that does.
OVERTIME COMPENSATION: In addition to their compensation for regular hours of work, employees shall be compensated for overtime hours at such a premium rate as is legally required in that country, but not less than at a rate equal to their regular hourly compensation rate.