Ethical Policy & Environmental Sustainability

INTRODUCTION TO SLEEPCRAFT ETHICAL POLICY & ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Sleepcraft Distributors Pty Ltd aims to provide its customers with quality products and value for money. In today’s global market, this means sourcing products from a variety of locations nationally and internationally. As a privately-owned Australian family business, Sleepcraft is committed to managing its business in a manner that reflects our high ethical and moral values. Sleepcraft is committed to upholding human rights, fair working conditions and environmental protection.

In accordance with expectations of our customers, the community, and the requirements of the Law, we endeavor to always operate responsibly within the community interest, and we expect the same from our suppliers and customers. Maintaining a reputation for the highest legal, moral and ethical standards in our dealing with our customers and other key stakeholders are critical for our ongoing success.
Sleepcraft Ethical Sourcing Policy embodies our commitment to integrating ethical and
socially responsible business practices into all aspects of operations. Sleepcraft is committed to:
• Sourcing its products in a responsible manner
• Working with its suppliers to improve their social and environmental practices
• Providing clear guidance to our buying staff 

EXPECTATIONS

We expect our suppliers to support the ethical standards set out in this Policy with regard to workplace safety, environment and fair pay and employment conditions. The policy sets out the standards that we expect all of our suppliers to comply with when producing and supplying products for Sleepcraft, no matter where they operate in the world.
We recognize that full compliance with these criteria may take time for some suppliers, and we are committed to working with our suppliers to implement improvement plans and help them achieve compliance. Sleepcraft reserves the right to cease business with suppliers that do not meet its ethical standards.

 

ETHICAL STANDARDS

1. Business Integrity
Vendors must demonstrate a high degree of professionalism and have a close affinity with our business ethics. In particular, honestly, fair dealing and the proper treatment of workers are required at all times. Bribes, favours, gifts, benefits, facilitation payments, secret commission, or similar unlawful or improper payments, in case or kind, are strictly prohibited, whether given to obtain business or otherwise.

2. Labour Rights
• Employment is freely chosen
• There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour
• Workers are not required to lodge deposits or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.

3. Working Conditions
• A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health in the working environment.
• Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.
• Access to clean toilet facilities and to clean and drinkable water and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.
• Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of the workers.
• Suppliers will ensure that personal protective equipment is available and workers trained in its use. Safeguards on machinery must meet or exceed local laws.

4. Child Labour
Suppliers shall not use child labour and must only employ workers who meet the local minimum age requirement. Suppliers must verify the age of their workers and maintain evidence of workers’ proof of age. Sleepcraft has a zero-tolerance policy to child labor.

5. Forced/Bonded Labour
Sleepcraft does not support any type of Forced/Bonded Labour and must respect the freedom of movement of workers and not restrict their movement by controlling identity papers, holding money deposits, or taking any other action to prevent workers from ending their employment.

6. Living Wages
• Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum national legal standard or industry benchmark standards. In any event, wages should always be enough to meet the basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.
• Vendors must comply with all laws regulating local wages, overtime compensation and legally mandated benefits.
• All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about their particulars of their wages or the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
• Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure or any deductions from wages not provided for by Law shall not occur without the expressed permission of the worker concerned.

7. Working Hours
• Working hours comply with any Law and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection.
• In any event, workers must not be required to work excessive working hours per week including overtime and have the option of at least one day off in seven. We expect that all record keeping will be strictly accurate, complete and transparent at all times.

8. Discrimination
• All conditions of employment must be based on an individual’s ability to do the job, not on the basis of personal characteristics.
• There must be 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.

9. Harsh or Inhumane Treatment
• Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.

10. Entitlement to Work and Immigration
• Only workers with a legal right to work shall be employed or used by the supplier.
• All workers, including employment agency staff must be validated by the supplier for their legal right to work by reviewing original documentation.

11. Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining
• Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his or hers interests.
• No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those which are prescribed by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. This shall not prevent the imposition of lawful restrictions on members of the armed forces and of the police in their exercise of this right.

12. Environmental Standards
Sleepcraft places a high level of importance on the behavior of our total supply chain as we believe this is where we can make a major impact.
Sleepcraft promotes the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources. Suppliers shall as a minimum comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the environmental impacts of their business and maintain procedures for notifying local authorities in the event of an environment accident resulting from the supplier’s operation.
Supplier compliance with environmental law shall include any international or applicable local laws affecting the source of materials and processes used to manufacture products.

Detailed performance standards are a matter for suppliers, but should address at least the following:
• Waste Management
Waste is minimised and items recycled whenever this is practicable. Effective controls of waste in respect of ground, air and water pollution must be adopted. In the case of hazardous materials, emergency response plans must be put in place.
• Packaging and Paper
Undue and unnecessary use of materials shall be avoided, and recycled materials should be used whenever appropriate.
• Conservation
Processes and activities shall be monitored and modified as necessary to ensure conservation of scarce resources including water, flora and fauna.
• Energy Use
All production and delivery processes, including the use of heating, ventilation, lighting, IT systems, transportation, must be based on the need to maximize efficient energy use and to minimize harmful emissions.
Sleepcraft packaging should be designed to have the minimum net impact on the environment
– in terms of waste, water, energy and emissions – while also fully protecting and preserving the integrity of the product it contains.

Sleepcraft packaging design and selection will have the following objectives:
• Source reduction
• Potential for packaging reuse
• Recovery and recycling
• Ability to incorporate recycled content
• Minimizing impacts of packaging
• Consumer information

 

COMPLIANCE WITH THE POLICY
Sleepcraft expects its suppliers to comply with all aspects of this Policy.
Sleepcraft is committed to working in partnership with its suppliers to help achieve compliance with this Policy. In the event where any supplier is unwilling or unable to demonstrate continuous improvement towards full compliance with our standards, the trading agreement between Sleepcraft and the supplier will be terminated.