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POLICIES

TRANSPARENTCY IS KEY

Human Rights

Designated Person(s)     : Alkesh Kapadia / Sanjay Modhwadia

Confidentiality                 : All matters discussed or lodges in the concern books are confidential and will not be shared with another person without the consent of the employee / visitors / customers or contractors

Recorded and actioned: All issues and matters are recorded, and appropriate action will be taken to resolve the matters on time. Timely measures will be recorded to ensure that this incident do not occur again in the future.

 

Policy Statement: At Barcode Design UK Limited, we are committed to protecting the human rights of everyone who works with us and all those who receive direct or indirect services from us. As a responsible ethical organisation, we fully support the principles of the human rights act and all associated legislation.

We recognize that our responsibilities for human rights encompass of:

·         We will uphold the human rights of all employees, visitors and contractors at our office and factory.

·         Our customers and suppliers: It is our aspiration to ensure that working conditions throughout our customers and suppliers meet international accepted standards of human rights and working conditions

·         We will

Reference Documents:

The policy statement has been developed with reference to the following documents:

·         The Human Rights Act 1998

·         The Modern Slavery Act 2015

·         The Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code

 

Main Principles

Child Labour:

We will not employ workers under the legal minimum age for work as stipulated by The Employment Act 2008

Force Labour

We will not make sure of any forced labour or debt-bondage labour in accordance with The Modern Slavery Act 2015

Discrimination

We will not discriminate against any person based on their protected characteristics and will uphold Article 14 of The Human Rights Act 1998 in respect of protection from discriminations.

Discipline

We will not employ or allow to be employed any form of corporate punishment, physical coercion, or verbal abuse. Any disciplinary matter will be dealt with through formal procedures.

Working Hours

Working time directives will be adhered to as per the working time Regulations 1998 with opt out clauses published to the employees.

Remuneration

Wages paid for standard working hours will meet or exceed national minimum wages or living wages level as appropriate.

 

If Human Rights issues are identified in our company, we will seek to address them and understand the root causes of these abuses. We will work with employees, customers, and suppliers to drive improvements.

Mistreatment

Date of Review: 08.01.2020

Last reviewed: 08.01.2020

Responsible office: Alkesh Kapadia

Policy Owners: Barcode Design UK Limited

 

Policy Statement

A worker working at Barcode Design UK Limited should foster friendly working environment and encourage other colleagues to achieve the standard of the company’s expectation and all workers and management staff should demonstrate the values prescribed within the company rules and regulations which also include personal responsibilities, respect, integrity, trustworthiness, impartiality, confidentiality and compliance with laws and Polices, breach in professional behavior threaten the working environment and will not be tolerated.

 

Procedures of mistreatment

·         Workers / Employees who experience possible mistreatment or observe other workers possible mistreatment are encouraged to address the issue immediately to the management.

·         Workers / employees can report in number of ways,

1.      Raise concerns personally to one of the supervisors

2.      The workers may choose to pursue claims of unlawful discrimination or harassment in compliance directly to directors of the company (personally or through somebody)

·         Responding to concerns of Mistreatment: Every effort is made to respond to concerns of mistreatment in a timely and professional manner to minimise the risk of harm including retaliation. The full investigation will be done with workers permission to do so, and appropriate action will be taken or reported to the police accordingly.

Child Labour

It is the policy of Barcode Design UK limited to not employee any child labour in the factory, we strongly believe that child labour will damage their physical, mental, and psychological developments. We have taken immediate measures of any child looking for job. We intend to give the child proper guidance and speak to them and their parents to finish their education and will help any child in need in our own capacity.

 

What is Child Labour

 

Child labour is generally accepted as being ‘work done by children under the age of 15 that limits or damages their physical, mental, social or psychological development’. The International Labour Organisation’s Minimum Age Convention does also allow ‘light work’ at 13 years but prohibits ‘hazardous work’ until the age of 18. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) emphasises a child’s rights to childhood, development, and education, which are undermined by child labour.

Child labour can take the form of employment in the manufacturing sector or in agriculture or work in the home. It can also take the form of slavery, prostitution, or involvement in illegal activities such as drug trafficking. Among the underlying causes, poverty and economic disparities are critical factors. Dealing with child labour, where it is found, needs to be done carefully because by firing children, these children may be forced into more dangerous circumstances, such as child prostitution.  Business can also play an important role in supporting programmes that address the multiple structural and social issues that combine in maintaining child labour. Ending child labour is important because it better enables the breaking of the poverty cycle by investing children with the skills and education they need for a better future. To be addressed successfully factors such as the reasons for children working in the first place and the real opportunities that exist for such children to leave work and integrate into school also need to be considered. Employers realise that, apart from obvious humanitarian and social concerns, combating child labour makes good business sense. Children who are left uneducated or are damaged physically or emotionally by early and hazardous work have little chance of becoming productive adult workers. They realise increasingly, too, that public exposure to the use of child labour can cause immeasurable reputation damage to the company

 

REMEDIAL TO ANY CHILD LABOUR

·         Any Child labour found in the company, the management of BARCODE DESIGN UK Limited, will take the child off the work and will not work for the company. We will put the Child in to the school and will provide the child for any Schooling fees or Tuition fees if School is not available near the area.

·         The company will take extra care in making sure the child is not on the street and is well protected and is not at-risk whist away from the workplace by sending him to School and managing their times with the parents.

·         The company will offer job to the parents or any family members of the child so as the Child can go and finish the schooling until the legal age of work.

·         The company will ensure that proper and adequate clothing such as school uniforms, books and stationery are also provided to any child labour found in the company.

Disciplinary

BARCODE DESIGN UK LIMITED requires good standards of discipline from its employees along with satisfactory standards of work. BARCODE DESIGN UK LIMITED disciplinary procedure applies to any misconduct or failure to meet the standards of performance or attendance.

The purpose of the company's disciplinary procedure is to be corrective rather than punitive and it should be recognised that the existence of its disciplinary procedure is to help and encourage employees to achieve and maintain acceptable standards of conduct, attendance, and job performance and to ensure consistent and fair treatment for all employees.

The disciplinary procedure is designed to help and encourage all employees to achieve and maintain standards of conduct, attendance, and job performance. The company rules (a copy of which is displayed on the notice board and the disciplinary procedure apply to all employees. The aim is to ensure consistent and fair treatment for all.

Discrimination and Harassment

Barcode Design Limited, the company aims to ensure that all its employees and job applicants are treated equally irrespective of disability, race, colour, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation or marital status.

 

Employees have personal responsibility for the practical application of the company’s equal opportunities Policy which extends to the treatment of members of the public and employees.

 

Mangers, Supervisors who are involved in the recruitment, selection, promotion, and training of the employees have special responsibility for the practical application of the company’s equal opportunity policy.

 

Disciplinary action under the disciplinary procedure shall be taken against any employee who is found to have committed an act of unlawful discrimination. Discriminatory conduct and sexual or racial harassment shall be regarded as gross misconduct, if there is any doubt about appropriate treatment under the company’s equal opportunities policy, employees should consult their manager.

Environmental - Usage and Exposure

Barcode Design UK Limited recognises that it has a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. We are committed to reducing our environment impact and continually improve our environmental performance as an integral part of our business strategy and operating methods. We will encourage customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to do the same.

 

Responsibilities

The directors of the company is responsible for ensuring that this environmental policy is implemented, however all the employees have a responsibility in their area to ensure that the aims and objectives of this policy is met.

 

Policy Aims: We endeavour to

  • Comply with all relevant regulatory requirements

  • Continually improve and monitor environmental performance.

  • Continually improve and reduce environmental impacts.

  • Incorporate environmental factors into business decisions.

  • Increase employee awareness and training.

Paper We will

  • Minimise the use of paper in the office

  • Reduce packaging as much as possible.

  • Seek to buy recycled and recyclable paper products

  • Reuse and recycle all paper where possible.

Energy and Water: We will see to

  • Reduce the amount of energy used as much as possible.

  • Switch off lights and electrical when not in use

  • Adjust heating with energy consumption in mind

  • Take energy consumption and efficiency of new products into accounts when purchasing them.

Office Supplies: We will

  • Evaluate if the need can be met in another way.

  • Evaluate the environmental impact of new products we intend to purchase.

  • Favour more environmentally friendly and efficient products wherever possible.

  • Reuse and recycle everything we are able to.

Transportation: We will

  • Recue the need of travel, restricting to necessity trips only.

  • Promote the use of travel alternatives such as email, video or phone conferencing.

  • Make Additional efforts to accommodate the needs of those using public transport or bicycles.

  • Favour Green vehicles and maintain them rigorously to ensure ongoing efficiency.

 

Maintenance and Cleaning: We will

  • Comply with all relevant regulatory requirements.

  • Continually improve and monitor environmental performance.

  • Continually improve and reduce environmental impacts

  • Incorporate environmental factors into business decisions

  • Increase employee awareness through training.

  • Review this policy and any related business issues at monthly management meetings

Culture: We will

  • Update this policy once every year in consultation with staff and other stakeholders where necessary.

  • Involve staff in the implementations of this policy, for greater commitment and improved performance.

  • Provide staff with relevant environmental training

  • Work with suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors to improve their environmental performance.

  • Use Local Labour and Material where available to reduce CO2 and help community.

Grievance and Procedures

Responsible officer: SUNDAR QUESSA / ALKESH KAPADIA

​

Policy Owners: BARCODE DESIGN UK LIMITED

 

 All grievance statements are recorded, and the management takes at most important to settle the issues in the factory with other employees of the company at the earliest.

 

All grievance statement is confidential, and we do not disclose any names to other supervisors or anybody in the company.

 

You can come to us personally or anonymously and complain or put a grievance by a form of a letter, verbally or both, and the management will act on this straight away without mentioning your names or description of that person.

 

You can put the grievance statement in any language that you spoke or write, the management will reply to in the same format.

 

In putting up and grievance or complaints, there is no repercussions or recourse or retaliation or victimization towards the employee(s). The management will act in the fairest manner and in doing any complaints will not lead to termination or dismissal of the job.

 

The Suggestions box is provided in the location where there is no CCTV or any supervision.

 

PS: Unfair and wrong information or discrimination towards the management or colleagues will not be taken lightly. So please refrain from malicious or wrong information.

Preventing hidden labour exploitation

We are committed to adopting a proactive approach to tackling hidden labour exploitation and will not tolerate any form of labour exploitation of our workers or colleagues. Exploitation can include forced labour and human trafficking, including asylum seekers and immigrants for labour exploitation; payment for work-finding services and work-related exploitation such as forced use of accommodation.

Not everyone sees themselves as a victim, or they may be reluctant to come forward and subsequently the act of exploitation can be well hidden. In this respect we will ensure that the Management Team are fully aware of the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the International Labour Organisation’s core conventions & UN Global Compact and be vigilant in enforcing compliance.

In support of this policy the Directors will:

• Designate appropriate Managers to attend training and to have responsibility for development and operating company procedures that support this policy

• Ensure that job finding fees are absorbed by the company and will under no circumstances allow these to be paid by job applicants

• Not use any individual or organisation to source and supply workers without confirming first that those workers are not being charged a work finding fee

• Ensure that all staff responsible for directly recruiting workers are aware of issues around third-party exploitation and that they are well informed of the signs to look for

• Ensure that labour sourcing, recruitment and worker placement processes are under the control of trusted and competent staff members

• Adopt a proactive approach to reporting suspicions of hidden worker exploitation to the police and any relevant regulating bodies

• Communicate information on tackling “Hidden Labour Exploitation” to our workforce through our weekly, monthly, or yearly worker briefings

• Encourage employees and agency workers to report cases of hidden third-party labour exploitation and provide a confidential means to do so

• Investigate and act on reports in a timely and appropriate manner

• Work with the police in dealing with any complaints and provide access to documentation where required

• Require other organisations in the labour supply chain to adopt policies and procedures in adherence with the Modern Slavery Act, International Labour Organisation’s core conventions & UN Global Compact This policy will be communicated to all staff, made available to our clients, suppliers and associates on request and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.

Remediation

POLICY STATEMENT

The company recognises the responsibility that they share with their suppliers to provide remedy to victims of slavery. Successful remediation is not easy to achieve and requires a victim-led, consultative and multi-stakeholder approach.

The Company: BARCODE DESIGN LIMITED

Coverage            

Our Factory, Our Suppliers, Our contractors and Our Labour Sourcing Agencies

Responsibility

Sundar Quessa / Alkesh Kapadia

Basic Principles

These principles apply to all workers regardless of their employment status or length of service. This includes permanent, temporary or casual labour, whether directly or indirectly employed. The response to a situation of forced labour will depend upon the scale of the issue identified.

Remediation Procedures

If modern slavery is found, it is vital to act quickly and to protect the victim.

Step One: Definition of a complaint

The company defines a complaint as a report of violation against our Code of Conduct that has occurred in our supply chain and has a direct adverse human rights impact. The complainant should be able to produce sufficient information to demonstrate the relevance and seriousness of the complaint.

Step Two: Designing a remediation procedure

The company recognises that it is important to identify and establish a remediation team to develop the business’s remediation procedure. This should be made up of representatives from the workforce, managers, trade unions (if active in the workplace. 

Protecting the victim of slavery must be the priority of the remediation programme. The remediation team must understand the specific needs, circumstances, and aspirations of each victim and what it was that pushed them into modern slavery.

The company will take the following steps in designing its remediation procedure:

1.       Identify a remediation team, including local experts where available

2.       Define the roles and responsibilities of each party

3.       Decide who will be funding the remediation program

4.       Document what would constitute a grievance and what information the complainant should be able to provide to demonstrate the relevance and seriousness of the complaint

5.       Document what channels are available to workers and relevant third parties for raising grievances

6.       Ensure that workers and relevant third parties are aware of all of these channels

7.       Document how the Company will carry out an investigation, should an incident of modern slavery be identified

8.       Identify and document what remedy the business will offer to victims of modern slavery, including restitution (restoring victim to original situation before abuses occurred), compensation (financial or otherwise), rehabilitation (medical, physiological, or psychological care) and satisfaction and guarantee of non‑repetition

9.       Identify and document relevant government and/or civil society-backed support mechanisms that victims of slavery can access

10.   Ensure that the procedure acknowledges that victims have the right to pursue other forms of remedial action at any stage beyond internal remedy mechanisms

11.   Decide and document how the business will contribute to programs to assist victims of modern slavery, e.g., through vocational training or other appropriate measures

12.   Decide and document how the outcomes of any investigation will be communicated, bearing in mind the need to protect victims

13.   Establish a review procedure to ensure that the remediation policy is effective and to review the root causes of any incidents of modern slavery

14.   Share the remediation procedure with all workers on site.

Step Three: Dealing with a case of modern slavery

Protecting victims of slavery is the most fundamental principle of any remediation policy.

The Company acknowledges that, once an allegation of modern slavery is made, victims should be:

·         Taken to a place of safety, out of view

·         Supported by a colleague or trade union representative if possible

·         Provided with reassurance and welfare (food, drink, medical assistance)

·         Informed of the business’s remediation procedure and the support that is available to them

·         Asked what remediation they are looking for, e.g. financial, psychological support

·         Given access to relevant government or third-party remediation services.

At all stages, The Company will take steps to protect confidentiality and collect evidence including:

·         Ensuring that suitable managers are responsible for running the investigation without links to the allegations

·         Recording what the victim says and making full notes of all the circumstances

·         Keeping multiple victims separate, speaking to them individually and noting signs of suspects trying to make contact

·         Having an independent/telephone interpreting service ready to use.

The Company process for responding to violations will be to:

1.       Conduct an initial assessment of the allegations to ensure that there is sufficient information to understand the exploitation discovered and remedy it

2.       Ascertain if a supplier or labour provider is implicated

3.       Report the allegations to relevant authorities

4.       Capture evidence about the violations, using an independent third party if necessary

5.       Gather information from those affected

6.       Take steps to correct the situation for the worker

7.       Contribute to programmes and projects to assist the victims of slavery

8.       Work with local authorities and competent local organisations to provide assistance

9.       Review progress over a suitable time period and verify that progress with local authorities and local organisations

10.   Document remedial steps taken (see Remediation Reporting Tool)

11.   Build learnings into remediation procedures and operational procedures to prevent re-occurrence.

Step Four: Ongoing support and monitoring

It is important for The company to monitor the progress of the remediation programme and to provide ongoing support for victims of slavery. Monitoring will include the following steps:

·         Monitoring the victim’s progress if the victim has been referred to a government or civil society-managed referral mechanism or similar

·         Evaluating how effective the remediation procedure was and amending it accordingly

·         Reviewing internal policies and procedures to determine what needs to change to prevent slavery from re-occurring.

Ongoing support required should be determined with the victim. It may take the form of a financial stipend whilst the victim is not working.

Responsible sourcing and recruitment

The company commits to developing and adopting responsible labour sourcing and recruitment practices that protect workers against forced and bonded labour and human trafficking. This includes sourcing and recruiting workers directly and indirectly through third-party labour providers such as temporary employment services (i.e. employment agencies, labour brokers and contractors), using supervisors and engaging tribal leaders.

Training

Barcode Design Limited is committed to the continual development of all its employees. It is vital that employees possess the skills and knowledge to enable them to perform their duties effectively. Any needs should be discussed with the employers on an annual basis.

 

The company may, in its absolute discretion, provide financial assistance for internal or external training courses which have relevance to the employee’s current or likely future duties with the company.

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