Ethical Sourcing
Introduction
Panacea Applications Limited (Panacea) is committed to delivering on the principles laid out in this ethical sourcing policy. Panacea’s values and policies require that our directors, employees and contractors work with integrity and to the highest legal, moral and ethical standards. This statement sets out our policy on ethical procurement.
Purpose
The purpose of this ethical sourcing policy is to identify the minimum expectations that Panacea has of its suppliers, based largely on the following key principles:
Working conditions must be safe and should support the health and well-being of employees and stakeholders.
Employment must be freely chosen by employees and all workers should be paid wages which meet at least the national living wage standards.
Diversity, inclusion, equal opportunities must be encouraged and implemented in all employment and management practices.
Operational and business impacts should be managed to support environmental protection and deliver reductions in carbon emissions.
The confidentiality and privacy of users must be protected.
Scope
This ethical sourcing policy applies to all suppliers of goods and services to Panacea. A ‘supplier’ is defined as any individual, company or other legal entity that sells products or services to Panacea. Suppliers must comply with the provisions of this policy and must have adequate policies and practices in place to ensure that their subcontractors or agents also comply with the spirit and intentions of this ethical sourcing policy.
Application
Panacea believes that companies have community responsibilities above and beyond the contribution made by their employment and wealth creation activities. We are committed to making positive economic, social, and environmental contributions in the communities in which we operate and to ensuring that good corporate behaviour is integrated into all aspects of our operations and those of our suppliers.
If non-compliance is detected, the supplier is obliged to take appropriate remedial measures. If appropriate measures are not implemented, or in the case of continued non-compliance or a serious breach of expectations, we reserve the right to terminate business relationships with the supplier.
We reserve the right to request and obtain information from our suppliers, including the results of social audits, in relation to their compliance with this ethical sourcing policy.
Legal compliance
Suppliers shall comply with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they operate.
Where the content in this ethical sourcing policy and the laws or regulations of the jurisdictions in which the supplier operates cover the same topic, whichever affords the greatest protection shall apply.
Responsible Sourcing
Suppliers must exercise due diligence to minimise the risk of sourcing raw materials from jurisdictions and suppliers connected with the contravention of human rights and/or environmental standards.
Privacy
All personal and sensitive information must be treated and protected in accordance with relevant Privacy laws and regulations.
Bribery and corruption
Suppliers shall not offer, provide, request, or receive bribes, gifts or facilitation payments in order to influence business partner decisions or gain an improper advantage over competitors.
Intellectual Property
Suppliers must respect the intellectual property rights of Panacea and other third parties. Any transfer of technology and knowhow must be handled in a manner that protects intellectual property rights, with all relevant laws and regulations complied with.
Access to grievance mechanisms
Workers should have access to a grievance mechanism through which complaints can be made and investigated. These are to be resolved in a fair and equitable manner.
Procedures enabling workers to confidentially communicate concerns relating to noncompliance with this ethical sourcing policy should be in place and communicated to workers, with an avenue for anonymous disclosure and protection against detrimental treatment.
Labour standards and human rights
Freely chosen employment
The use of forced or involuntary labour, including debt bondage, human trafficking and prison labour is prohibited. Suppliers shall not use deceptive practices, threats, fraud or abduction in the recruitment, transportation or harbouring of workers. Suppliers shall respect workers’ freedom of movement. Workers’ freedom of movement shall not be inhibited by the withholding of property, including identity documents such as passports or licenses. Workers shall be free to cease employment after providing reasonable notice to their employer.
Prohibition on the use of child labour
Children shall not be employed by suppliers except in the specific circumstances laid out in the UK Government’s guidance on child employment (https://www.gov.uk/child-employment). Suppliers must verify the age of all workers prior to commencing their employment.
No Illegal Labour
Suppliers must be able to verify the legal entitlement of their employees to work in the country of employment.
Reasonable working hours
Employee working hours shall comply with the laws of the jurisdictions in which they work.
Payment of fair wages
Suppliers shall pay employees wages and benefits that meet or exceed the minimum standards of the jurisdictions in which they operate. All employees must be provided with written information relating to their employment contract and wages for each pay period in a language they understand. Deducting wages as a disciplinary measure is not permitted.
Provision of regular employment
Suppliers shall not seek to avoid providing their employees with the obligations and benefits that arise from a regular employment relationship through the misuse or excessive use of sub-contracting, apprenticeship schemes, labour-only contracting, home-working arrangements or fixed-term employment contracts.
Fair treatment and non-discrimination
Suppliers shall not discriminate against prospective or current employees on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or union membership status during the hiring process, when determining compensation, when providing access to training or promotion opportunities or through the termination of employment process.
Harassment and abuse
Employees of suppliers must be treated with dignity and respect. Employees of suppliers must not be subjected to physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal harassment or abuse.
Suppliers must ensure there is no harsh or inhumane treatment of employees.
Migrant Workers
Migrant workers shall have the same entitlements as local workers as stipulated by local laws and regulations.
Healthy and safe working conditions
Suppliers shall meet the requirements of applicable laws and regulations of the manufacturing country and have systems in place to detect and respond to potential risks to the health and safety of employees and visitors to the site. This includes:
Understanding and responding to occupational hazards – suppliers shall adopt measures to minimise health and safety hazards present in the working environment and shall provide adequate safeguards against them.
Personal protective equipment and machinery safeguards – this must be supplied where necessary, and employees trained in their use.
Hygienic working environment – suppliers shall provide workers with a clean and hygienic workplace, including access to toilet facilities and safe food storage.
Emergency preparedness – suppliers shall maintain a documented emergency response plan, including procedures for notifying workers and emergency services, identification of emergency exits and access to emergency response and first aid equipment.
Provision of training – suppliers shall provide workers with health and safety training, including responding to emergency situations and applying the emergency response plan, emergency drills and employment facility evacuations. Records of training provided shall be maintained.
Assigning responsibility for health and safety – suppliers shall assign responsibility for managing workplace health and safety to an officer in an appropriately senior position within the company.
Environmental protection
Minimising impact and harm
Suppliers shall adopt reasonable measures to minimise the negative impacts that their operations have on the environment. We also expect our suppliers to encourage their own suppliers to minimise any negative impacts on the environment throughout their supply chains.
In addition to maintaining compliance with relevant laws and regulations, suppliers shall maintain current permits and licences as required by the jurisdictions in which they operate.
Suppliers shall ensure that their production facilities dispose of solid, liquid and hazardous waste in accordance with local regulations and permit requirements.
Environmental planning and management
Suppliers shall ensure that any and all production facilities which they operate develop and maintain appropriate environmental management systems or plans. These management systems or plans must identify the key environmental impacts of each production facility and document the safeguards, controls or mitigating activities maintained to manage those impacts. Such impacts may arise from:
Waste disposal
Air emissions and water discharges
Use and storage of hazardous chemicals
Reporting issues and obtaining further information
If you require further information or clarification on any aspect of Panacea’s ethical sourcing policy, or wish to inform us of suspected or actual breaches of this ethical sourcing policy, please contact us at enquiries@panacea-software.com
Individuals can also report concerns about serious misconduct through Panacea’s complaints officer. Our complaints policy and the contact details can be found on our website via this link: https://panacea-software.com/complaints-policy