Case studies

Many companies believe that the respect for human rights is of strategic importance to their operations (in terms of, for example, competitive advantage, market positioning, greater productivity and avoiding reputational risks, cf.: Benefits of CSR). Nowadays, increasing numbers of business enterprises are fulfilling their human rights responsibilities in a conscious way.

Below figure references to private sector activities. The Federal administration shows case studies and makes no claim to be complete. Although every care has been taken by the Federal Authorities to ensure the accuracy of the information published, no warranty can be given in respect of the accuracy, reliability, up-to-dateness or completeness of this information.

Standards and guidelines

Migros bases its guidelines for social standards on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These define the responsibilities of companies in upholding human rights.

For further information:
Migros - Labour Conditions suppliers

Firmenich’s approach to human rights is laid out in its Human Rights Policy Statement and is based on international human rights standards and principles. Together with Shift, the leading center of expertise on business and human rights, Firmenich identified its most critical human rights issues. To address them, the Group created a Human Rights Committee led by the Chief Human Resources Officer and comprising representatives from different functions. This approach is critical to ensure the integration and relevance of human rights across the company and along its value chain.

For further information:
Firmenich - Human Rights Policy Statement

In 2005 Coop, together with GlobalG.A.P. – the world's largest standards organisation in the agricultural sector – and the German Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (Society for International Cooperation – GIZ), launched the "GRASP" (GlobalG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice) initiative. The aim is to firmly establish social criteria in agriculture in the so-called "risk countries". GRASP indicates 11 clear criteria (e.g. payment of legally defined minimum wages, introduction of a time-recording system, observance of rest periods even at harvest time, ban on child labour, etc.). Thanks to its user-friendliness and low cost base, many other retailers are now also requiring their producers to implement GRASP.

For further information:
Coop - Actions, not words

 

SITA expects its suppliers to respect the standards set by the International Labour Organization. The monitoring of SITA’s supply chains is managed by its Corporate Social Responsibility Office, in co-operation with its Purchasing Team. Areas of concern will be shared with the Compliance department and if appropriate, with the Ethics and Compliance Committee, which provides an oversight of its ethics and compliance programs. SITA strongly encourages employees to raise any potential violations of its Codes, which include the topics of slavery and human trafficking, to line management, directly to Compliance & Ethics or through internal reporting resource.

For further information:
SITA - Supply Chain
SITA - Slavery and human trafficking

 

The protection of human rights is an integral part of Swisscom’s corporate culture. Swisscom aligns itself with recognised standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the standard SA8000 from Social Accountability International (SAI) and the company’s procurement guidelines. The principles were published in a new 2016 guideline on protecting human rights.

For further information:
Swisscom - Policy regarding human rights

Risk Assessment

The exposure of SITA to the risk of slavery and human trafficking has been acknowledged and will be monitored in SITA’s corporate risk register. This register is reviewed quarterly by SITA’s Audit and Risk Management Committee, which is comprised of members of SITA’s Board. SITA’s Purchasing Policy governs the purchase of all goods and services, providing details on both the selection criteria and the due diligence requirements on new and existing suppliers. SITA is currently revising its supplier contracts to ensure SITA has adequate provisions to mitigate risks.

For further information:
SITA - Slavery and human trafficking
SITA - Corporate Social Responsibility

Givaudan maps the supply chains of key raw materials of natural origin to understand how they are organised and to collect information on the role, importance and location of intermediate suppliers, right up to the farm level. The next step is to check the practices in each supply chain against Givaudan’s Responsible Sourcing Policy. Where Givaudan finds risks or gaps they ensure the relevant suppliers have improvement plans in place. Givaudan considers as responsibly sourced all raw materials of natural origin for which no gaps have been identified during the assessment of the supply chains, or where appropriate improvement plans are in place in cases where gaps have been found. The Responsible Sourcing Policy includes the topics slavery, forced labour and child labour.

For further information:
Givaudan - Better practices, shared value

Audits

Migros is a founding member of amfori BSCI. During amfori BSCI audits, independent specialists review the compliance of suppliers with the amfori principles. The amfori code of conduct includes among others the following topics: the freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining, non-discrimination, living wages, reasonable working hours. The selection of factories or farms to be audited is based on a risk assessment. If shortcomings are identified among the audited suppliers, Migros requires specific remedial action to be taken while also supporting its suppliers with training or workshops.

For further information:
Migros - Labour conditions of suppliers

While Firmenich aims to address its impacts on human rights in its own operations, it is also committed to doing so in the activities that relate to its business relationships with its suppliers. Through the Global Supplier Audit Program, audits are conducted either by Firmenich auditors for higher-risk suppliers or by a third party for medium to low risk suppliers.
Moreover, for the sourcing of raw material, human rights issues are monitored through a Responsible Sourcing Program. Firmenich selects producers at source based on risk assessments including environmental, social and governance (ESG)
criteria, and focuses on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

For further information:
Firmenich - Human Rights Policy Statement

Coop already joined the initiative in 2005 and adopted the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct, which is based in particular on the UN's Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, the OECD's Guiding Principles and the Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Coop requires suppliers who produce in risk countries to conduct an amfori BSCI audit.

For further information:
Coop - actions, not words

Sustainability Reports

It is important for Migros that consumers and the general public are aware of Migros’ commitment. It reports extensively in its annual sustainability report on working conditions in the supply chains and provides specific key figures regarding the number of audits, audit findings, any irregularities identified or the number of training sessions. The latest sustainability report may be accessed online at any time. Additional information on the subject of working conditions can be found on the Generation M homepage.

For further information:
Migros - Sustainability Management

Management of risks relating to Conflict Minerals is a key part of Logitech’s human rights program. Any potential, perceived or actual violation of human rights and the EICC (Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition) Code of Conduct is taken seriously by Logitech. Many aspects of human rights management are categorised as Priority Findings under the EICC Code of Conduct, and any human rights violation triggers Logitech’s requirements for Corrective Action Reports setting out the immediate actions needed to address the issue identified and uphold Logitech’s duty of care to any affected parties, as well as the longer-term preventative actions required to minimize the risk of recurrence.

For further information:
Logitech –Sustainability Report

Standards and Codes of conduct

With its code of ethics, Importexa SA shows its commitments for people and environment. Importexa SA commits to conduct its affairs with integrity, wherever they operate, in full compliance with laws, regulations and ethical standards. The commitment of Importexa SA is also visible in its commitment to encourage working conditions that ensure decent wages according to function and to guarantee the physical safety in the workplace of all employees working directly or indirectly for Importexa SA.

For further information:
Certifications Importexa SA

Coty adheres to a number of international standards relevant to corporate responsibility and ethical business conduct including the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact (UNGC) Coty supports the ten principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption set by the UNGC.

For further information:
Coty - Human Rights - Vision & Policy Commitment

SITA expects its suppliers to follow SITA’s Supplier Code of Conduct, which is available on SITA’s public internet site. In addition, and on an ad hoc basis, SITA selects a random sample of suppliers based on supplier size, location and/or nature of services. Those selected suppliers are then requested to complete the Responsible Supply Chain Self Certification. The Self Certification is an online questionnaire, which requires suppliers to provide information on a range of criteria, including those referenced in the UN Global Compact, and with a specific reference to the areas of slavery and forced labor.

For further information:
SITA - Supply chain

Caterpillar commits to respect the internationally recognized human rights standards throughout all its operations. Caterpillar reserves the right to verify its supplier’s compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct. In the event that Caterpillar becomes aware of any actions or conditions not in compliance with Caterpillar’s Supplier Code of Conduct, Caterpillar reserves the right to demand corrective measures.

For further information:
Caterpillar - Supplier code of conduct

Richemont’s Supplier Code of Conduct includes an endorsement of International Labour Organisation Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among other issues, the Code of Conduct specifically forbids the use of forced or involuntary labour of any kind, including employment of people under the age of 15 or before they have completed compulsory education. The Code of Conduct includes an Acknowledgment of Terms that requires suppliers to: accept and agree to the Code’s principles; announce the individual responsible for the supplier’s compliance; present the procedures in place to fulfil the Code’s requirements; report on discrepancies between the supplier’s operations and the Code; present any similar policy used by the supplier.

For further information:
Richemont - Human Rights and labour standards in the supply chain

UBS expects high ethical standards from its suppliers. Recognizing that there are different legal, competitive and cultural environments in which UBS‘s suppliers operate throughout the world, the UBS Responsible Supply Chain Standard serves as a benchmark for assessing ethical business practices of UBS‘s suppliers and will be referenced within contractual agreements between UBS and its suppliers. Where gaps are identified between supplier practices and the UBS Responsible Supply Chain Standard, suppliers shall improve their practices in order to comply with the UBS Responsible Supply Chain Standard whilst meeting all other operating and engagement criteria. The UBS Responsible Supply Chain Standard incorporates standards on human rights, labor rights and environmental and anti-corruption principles as set out in the UN Global Compact.

For further information:
UBS - Sustainability

Grievance mechanism

Caterpillar encourages its employees, suppliers and other stakeholders to report any human rights concerns or grievances to Caterpillar’s Office of Business Practices. All reported incidents are managed through a formal process to understand and address the issue, as appropriate. In the event that Caterpillar becomes aware of any actions regarding a supplier not in compliance with Caterpillar’s Supplier Code of Conduct, Caterpillar reserves the right to demand corrective measures.

For further information:
Caterpillar – Human Rights

Logitech has an established whistleblowing mechanism to facilitate reporting of any human right violations. Logitech’s ethics hotline is managed by a third party provider and is available by phone or via a web portal. It is an established Ethics Hotline, which is hosted by EthicsPoint. This hotline facility provides employees with a whistle-blowing mechanism to confidentially and anonymously report any issues they identify or observe. Any reports to the hotline are investigated and managed under a framework established and overseen by the Legal, People & Culture and Internal Audit functions. The identities of individuals reporting any issues are protected and Logitech maintains a no retaliation policy.

For further information:
Logitech – Sustainability Report

Training and Communication

SITA provides online mandatory training around Responsible Procurement and also on Slavery and Human Trafficking to designated groups of our employees which have exposure to supply chain risks. The training for Slavery and Human Trafficking is mandatory for senior management. Beyond training, communicating the ethics and compliance message is accomplished through global staff calls, lunch and learn sessions, bulletins, websites, and similar tools.

For further information:
SITA - Slavery and human trafficking

As part of Caterpillar’s enterprise human rights program, Caterpillar has conducted human rights training for key human resources function employees, managers, the compliance council, the direct marketing group, the global security team, the mergers and acquisitions team, the product source planning group, the sustainability group and certain employees with responsibility for supply network relationships. Through this training, Caterpillar promotes a culture of ongoing awareness by helping the sourcing managers to identify potential human rights violations at Caterpillar’s suppliers’ facilities.

For further information:
Caterpillar – Slavery and human trafficking statement

Multistakeholder collaboration

Firmenich often partners with local NGOs to better understand challenges including human rights issues on site. For example, in Comoros, together with a customer and an NGO, Firmenich is working to improve the livelihoods of women smallholder farmers by improving working conditions, providing training on best practices (e.g. climate-smart agriculture) and diversifying their incomes. With the Naturals Together program, Firmenich organizes a yearly event aimed at gathering suppliers to share experiences including good practices, progress and vision of the future.

For further information:
Firmenich - Human Rights Policy Statement

Through its involvement in the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), Richemont seeks to ensure compliance with the RJC’s standards relating to slavery and human trafficking. The RJC’s certification process is rigorous, including independent third-party audits regarding the member’s compliance with human rights standards.

For further information:
Richemont - Human rights and labour standards in the supply chain

Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

In order to encourage corporate commitment, the Swiss Confederation supports the “Corporate Human Rights Benchmark" (CHRB). The CHRB produces in-depth assessments and rankings on how companies in the agriculture, apparel and extractive sector are fulfilling their human rights responsibilities. The ranking provides an overview of the performance of 100 publicly traded companies on key themes including governance, human rights due diligence, grievance mechanisms and transparency.
CHRB’s work is carried out in complete independence.

More information: Corporate Human Rights Benchmark