Corporate Responsibility
At Maggie Stern Stitches, we are committed to a standard of excellence in every aspect of our business, including legal, ethical and responsible conduct in all of our operations.
With respect to collegiate licensing, we agree to disclose to each Collegiate Institution or its licensing designee 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 which bear Licensed Indicia. We further agree that such information shall be updated upon change of any factory site location. We understand that the Collegiate Institution or its licensing designee reserve the right to disclose this information to third parties, without restriction as to its further distribution.
We will meet or exceed the following standards for our business and demand the same for all of our suppliers:
1. No Forced Labor
There shall be absolutely no use of forced prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or other forced labor.
2. No Child Labor
We will 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. We agree to consult with governmental, human rights and nongovernmental organizations, and to take reasonable steps to minimize the negative impact on children released from employment as a result of implementation or enforcement of this Code.
3. No 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. We will not use or tolerate any form of corporal punishment.
4. Non Discrimination
No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, or on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion or social or ethnic origin.
5. Health and Safety
We will provide a safe and healthy working environment 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 the employer’s facilities.
6. Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
We shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
7. Wages and Benefits
We recognize that wages are essential to meeting an employee’s basic needs. We shall pay employees, as a floor, at least the required minimum wage required by local law or the local prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher, and shall provide legally mandated benefits.
8. Working Hours
Except in extraordinary circumstances, hourly and/or quota-based wage employees shall not be required to (i) work more than the lesser of (a) 48 hours per week and 12 hours overtime or (b) the limits on regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country where we operate or, where the laws of such country do not limit the hours of work, the regular work week in such country plus 12 hours overtime; and (ii) be entitled to at least one day off in every seven day period.
9. 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 operation or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a rate at least equal to their regular hourly compensation rate.
10. Environmental Protection
We will comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.
11. Publication
We will take appropriate steps to ensure that the provisions of this Code of Conduct are communicated to all employees, including the prominent posting of a copy of this Code of Conduct in the local language and in a place readily accessible to employees at all times.
Note: Much of our manufacturing is done in India, and the three languages that this document will be translated into are: Tamil, Kannada and Odiya.
12. Other Laws
We will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those pertaining to the manufacture, pricing, sale and distribution of merchandise, as well as voluntary industry standards.
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Maggie Stern Stitches’s Corporate Responsibility Code of Conduct as it applies to our suppliers:
Maggie Stern Stitches will meet face to face with the ownership/management of each factory involved in the manufacture of our products and prior to us agreeing to source product from their factory, they will agree to:
1. Allow us and any of our representatives to do unannounced factory site visits/inspections to assess whether compliance with our Corporate Responsibility standards is sufficient for us to continue to work with them as a trusted supplier.
2. Allow us to have The Fair Labor Association (FLA – www.fairlabor.org ) or a duly authorized representative of FLA conduct factory site audits as FLA sees fit. Our suppliers must understand and acknowledge that we are members of FLA and as such all factories that are used in the manufacture of our products are subject to FLA audits.
3. Allow periodic environmental sustainability evaluations by third parties.
4. Understand that we have a formal Corporate Responsibility Code of Conduct and understand that they must accept, understand and meet all items in our Corporate Responsibility Code.
5. Have our written Corporate Responsibility Code of Conduct posted, in the predominant language of the area, in a prominent place(s) in their factory such that all workers will be allowed to read it. Furthermore, the management of the factory must agree to inform workers of the Corporate Responsibility standards and educate workers regularly about the Corporate Responsibility standards.
Note: Our overseas manufacturing is done in China and in India, and as such we have translated our CR Code into Mandarin for China and Tamil for India (the bulk of our manufacturing is done in Tamil Nadu province).
6. Put a system in place where workers may report to management any perceived violations of the Corporate Responsibility Code.
7. Inform us of any significant legal issues involving their factory, i.e. Have there been any recent or pending government enforcement actions against the factory? Are there any current lawsuits from workers or worker organizations pending against the factory?
8. Share with us what the prevailing wage in factory’s general area is and what their actual wage (range) is in relation to the prevailing regional wage.