Not only do we respect the dignity of every individual, but we also partner and work with organizations that share our values. We expect our business partners (suppliers, subcontractors and distributors) to comply with the same standards in their business practices and individual behavior.
ST strives to remedy any adverse Human Rights impacts resulting from its operations, ensuring accountability and trust with stakeholders, including local communities. This includes thorough verifications, transparent communication, and collaboration with relevant parties to implement corrective actions and prevent future occurrences.
What does it mean?
ST applies the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the fundamental conventions of the International Labor Organization and their Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the UN Global Compact.
As such, respecting and promoting fundamental Human Rights means that:
- We prohibit child labor in accordance with applicable laws and fundamental Human Rights.
- We prohibit forced labor and ensure that all work is voluntary and free from coercion, prohibiting practices such as debt bondage, human trafficking, and slavery.
- We ensure adequate wages and benefits by making sure employees receive equitable compensation for their work. It is regularly reviewed and adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living and economic conditions.
- We maintain a responsible organization with reasonable working hours and sufficient rest, in compliance with applicable laws and industry standards.
- We provide good working conditions, fostering a safe and healthy work environment conducive to employee well-being, by implementing measures to prevent workplace accidents and injuries.
- We respect freedom of association. Our employees are free to join or form groups, such as unions, to advocate for their interests, protecting their right to collective bargaining and peaceful assembly without fear of retaliation.
Our Do’s
- We adhere to the principles of Human Rights and address any adverse impacts we have caused or contributed to, including providing remedy as needed.
- We partner with organizations that share our standards on Human Rights.
- We regularly audit our third parties to ensure they uphold our Human Rights standards.
Promoting Human rights
in practice
Because real life is rarely as clear-cut as theory, here are the answers to a few questions you might have
I am part of the procurement team and have discovered during the onboarding process that a potential supplier has been convicted for using child labor. What should I do?
Stop any negotiations, deny the supplier in our due diligence tool and reject the supplier creation request for ethics reason. We must ensure that all our business partners adhere to Human Rights standards, and we prefer not to do business with them rather than compromise on these standards.
I am working with a third party contractor and notice that their employees are not provided with adequate safety equipment. What should I do?
You should formally raise this concern with the contractor and report the issue through the Ethics Hotline. While the contractor is responsible for ensuring safe working conditions at their site, it is essential that our business partners uphold the same Human Rights standards we adhere to.