Ethical guidelines for suppliers

We care

The ethical guidelines for suppliers of the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger are designed to ensure that our suppliers meet fundamental requirements regarding human and labor rights, climate and environment, anti-corruption, and animal welfare.

1. Introduction

Goods delivered to the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger must be produced under conditions that comply with the requirements outlined in this document. The ethical guidelines for suppliers are based on international frameworks and conventions on fundamental principles and rights at work, and other similar directives for the environment and climate, anti-corruption, and animal welfare, including: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Conventions, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP, 2011), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

From July 1, 2022, the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger is subject to the Transparency Act and the requirements to conduct due diligence assessments in our supply chains and report these publicly, in line with the OECD model for due diligence assessments and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

2. Our Expectations and Requirements for Suppliers

The supplier is obliged to follow our ethical guidelines and comply with national legislation in the countries where they operate and where production occurs, as well as act in accordance with internationally recognized conventions. Where conventions, laws, and regulations address the same issue, the strictest standard shall apply. This also applies in cases where our ethical guidelines conflict with national legislation. Our ethical guidelines for suppliers set minimum, not maximum, requirements. If the supplier uses subcontractors to fulfill the contract, the supplier is responsible for passing on the requirements in the supply chain.

We expect our suppliers to work focused and systematically to comply with our ethical guidelines, which cover fundamental requirements for human and labor rights, climate and environment, anti-corruption, and animal welfare.

Our suppliers shall:

• Follow our ethical guidelines for suppliers (Supplier Code of Conduct)
• Conduct due diligence assessments in line with the OECD model and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This involves conducting risk assessments to identify potential negative impacts on people, society, and the environment – to stop, prevent, and mitigate such impacts. The measures implemented must be monitored and their effectiveness evaluated. The measures taken must be communicated to affected parties. If the supplier is responsible for the negative impact/damage, they are responsible for contributing to remediation.
• Show willingness and ability for continuous improvement for people, society, and the environment through collaboration.
• Upon request from the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger, be able to document how they, and potential subcontractors, work to comply with ethical guidelines.
• If the supplier, after several requests from the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger, does not show willingness or ability to follow the guidelines for suppliers, the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger will reconsider further collaboration.

2.1 Forced Labor (ILO Core Conventions 29 and 105)

• Forced or involuntary labor shall not occur in any form, including as a means of training, punishment, or to promote work discipline.
• Workers shall not be required to deposit money or identification papers with the employer.
• Workers shall be free to leave the workplace at the end of the workday or terminate employment after a reasonable notice period.

2.2 Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (ILO Core Conventions 87, 98, 135, and 154)

• Workers and employers have the right to form or join organizations of their own choosing and to conduct collective bargaining and share its content.
• All activities related to this organization shall occur without any reprisals, discrimination, or other forms of harassment for the participants.
• The employer must in no way hinder or interfere with freedom of association and collective bargaining.
• Where freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are restricted by national law, the employer shall facilitate and not hinder parallel mechanisms for free and independent organization and negotiation.

2.3 Child Labor (ILO Core Conventions 138, 182, and 79, ILO Recommendation No. 146, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)

• Children under the age of 15 shall not perform any form of work. If there is a national minimum age for workers or a minimum age for compulsory schooling, the highest age shall apply.
• Children under the age of 18 shall not work night shifts or perform work that would be harmful to their safety, physical and/or mental health.
• There shall be no new recruitment of child laborers, and action plans shall be established for the prompt phasing out of child labor in accordance with ILO Conventions 138 and 182. The action plans shall be documented, and support schemes shall be provided to enable the child to receive education as long as they are of compulsory school age.

2.4 Discrimination (ILO Core Conventions 100 and 111 and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women)

• There shall be no discrimination in employment, remuneration, training, promotion, dismissal, or retirement based on ethnicity, caste, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership, or political affiliation.
• There shall be no harassing, threatening, abusive, or exploitative behavior towards employees, including sexual harassment. Employees cannot be dismissed on unreasonable grounds, such as, but not limited to, marital status, pregnancy, or illness.

2.5 Harsh Treatment (Universal Declaration of Human Rights/UDHR)

• Physical abuse or punishment, or the threat of physical abuse, is prohibited. The same applies to sexual or other abuse and other forms of humiliation.

2.6 Wages (ILO Convention No. 131)

• Wages for workers for a normal workweek shall at least be in line with national minimum wage regulations or industry standards, whichever is higher. Wages shall always be sufficient to cover basic needs, including some savings.
• Wage conditions and payment of wages shall be contractually agreed in writing before work begins. The agreement shall be understandable to the worker.
• Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure are not permitted.

2.7 Working Hours and Rest (ILO Conventions No. 1 and 14)

• Working hours shall comply with national laws or industry standards and not exceed working hours in accordance with applicable international conventions.
• Normal working hours per week shall usually not exceed 48 hours. Workers shall have at least one day off every 7 days.
• Overtime shall be limited and voluntary. The recommended maximum overtime is 12 hours per week, i.e., a total working time of 60 hours per week. Exceptions to this may be accepted if regulated by a collective agreement or national law.
• Workers shall always receive overtime pay for work beyond normal working hours, at least in line with applicable laws.
• The supplier shall ensure that workers receive breaks, rest, holidays, sick leave, parental leave, and overtime pay according to applicable legislation and international conventions.

2.8 Health, Environment, and Safety (ILO Convention No. 155 and Recommendation No. 164)

• All workers shall have a healthy and safe working environment through systematic work on health and safety, including necessary measures to prevent and minimize accidents and health hazards resulting from or related to workplace conditions.
• Hazardous chemicals and other substances shall be handled safely.
• Workers shall receive regular and documented training in health and safety, including new and relocated workers.
• Workers shall have access to clean sanitary facilities and drinking water. If relevant, the employer shall also provide access to facilities for safe food storage.
• If the employer provides accommodation, it shall be clean, safe, adequately ventilated, and with access to clean sanitary facilities and drinking water.

2.9 Regular Employment

• The employer shall not circumvent employer responsibilities or obligations to workers through the use of short-term engagements (such as contract workers, casual workers, and day laborers), subcontractors, or other labor relationships.
• All workers are entitled to an employment contract in a language they understand.
• Apprenticeship programs shall be clearly defined with respect to duration and content.

2.10 Marginalized Populations

• The supplier's operations shall not contribute to the destruction of the resource and income base for marginalized populations, for example, through the use of natural resources that these populations depend on.

2.11 Environment and Climate

• Negative environmental impacts shall be reduced throughout the value chain. In line with the precautionary principle, measures shall be implemented for continuous:
• minimization of greenhouse gas emissions, local pollution, use of harmful chemicals, and pesticides.
• ensuring sustainable resource extraction and management of water, oceans, forests, and land, contributing to the conservation of biological diversity.
• The supplier shall establish a plan and system for reducing environmental impacts, as well as follow-up, and document the work.
• The supplier shall establish a system for proper waste management.
• In cases where the supplier's operations are potentially harmful to the environment, or if required by the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger, the supplier shall have a publicly available environmental policy.
• No form of illegal environmental activity or reckless exploitation of natural resources shall take place in the supplier's value chain.
• National and international environmental legislation and regulations shall be complied with, and relevant emission permits shall be obtained.

2.12 Animal Welfare

• Animal welfare shall be respected, and national and international animal welfare legislation and regulations shall be complied with. A fundamental element of good animal welfare is the internationally recognized principle of the five freedoms for animals: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury, or disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and (chronic) distress (Brambell Commission, 1965).
• Measures should be taken to minimize negative impacts on the welfare of production and working animals.

2.13 Corruption and Other Economic Misconduct

• The supplier shall not engage in any forms of illegal business practices and shall oppose corruption, bribery, money laundering, favoritism, and extortion.
• The supplier shall not offer, give, accept, request, or receive, either directly or indirectly, bribes or other undue advantages for personal or business gain, including advantages to customers, agents, contractors, suppliers, or public officials.

3. Implementation and Breach of Ethical Guidelines

The supplier's implementation of the Ethical Guidelines shall be documented through one of the following: self-declaration form, follow-up meetings, audit reports, or inspections of working conditions.

If the supplier identifies deviations or breaches of the requirements in the ethical guidelines, the supplier shall report this to the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger without undue delay. In the event of deviations, the supplier is obliged to correct the breaches within the deadline set by the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger. The corrections shall be documented in writing and in the manner defined by the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger. Significant breach of contractual obligations may be invoked by the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger as grounds for termination of the contract even if the supplier rectifies the issues. Serious and/or persistent breaches of the Guidelines are considered significant breaches. If breaches occur in the supply chain, the Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger may require the supplier to replace subcontractor(s).