ETHICAL CONDUCT POLICY

LANCASHIRE SOCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY
ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY POLICY

INTRODUCTION

As an ethically responsible organisation, Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company is committed to ensuring that it complies fully with all aspects of the Conventions of ILO (the International Labour Organisation)

Ethics, openness and social accountability are core values of the company and we ensure these are consistently observed and where possible improved upon. This commitment extends from the directors of the company throughout Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company's operations ensuring that the company maintains a consistent standard.

1: Child Labour

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company does not engage in or support the use of child labour. Our definition of a child is any person less than 16 years of age.

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company works in partnership with educational authorities in the UK, in support of paid,and unpaid work experience programmes.

2: Forced & Compulsory Labour

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company does not engage in or support the use of forced or compulsory labour and does not require personnel to pay deposits or lodge identification papers with the company upon commencing employment.

Employees are able to leave the company after reasonable notice is given. This notice period is defined in the Terms & Conditions of Employment for each employee.

3: Health & Safety

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company is committed to providing, maintaining and improving safe and healthy conditions, equipment & systems of work for all employees, and to provide such information, training & supervision as they need in order to provide adequate levels of welfare to all employees at their place of work.

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company promotes a culture of openness where employees are encouraged to voice concerns they may have. Employees are not expected or encouraged to place themselves in any situation where there is imminent danger.

The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring the implementation of policies and procedures for the protection of all personnel, and that Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company's activities and products do not present a threat to the health & safety of third parties.

4: Discrimination & Harassment

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. At all times, it aims to:

• Select, recruit, develop and promote the very best people, basing judgement solely on suitability for the job.

• Ensure all applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment irrespective of gender, marital status and family responsibilities, nationality, colour, race, caste, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, political option, age, disability or any other condition that could give rise to discrimination.

• Maintain a working environment free from harassment and intimidation.

• Deal speedily and effectively with any complaints of alleged discrimination and/or harassment, ensuring all such complaints are fully investigated and that remedial action is taken where necessary.

• Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company will not tolerate threatening and abusive behaviour. Deliberate harassment will be considered to be gross misconduct.

5: Disciplinary Practices

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company shall not engage in or support, corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse of personnel. Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company operates a culture of openness that encourages its employees to report any incidences of verbal or physical abuse should they arise in the workplace.

Disciplinary procedures are defined in the Employee Information Pack and Contract Of Employment

6: Working Hours

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company will comply with national laws and industry standards on working hours and public holidays.

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company will make available to employees, on average, at least one day off for every 6 consecutive days worked.

The hours of work that apply are detailed in the Terms & Conditions of Employment for each employee. Additional hours are voluntary, but may be required in order to meet the needs of the business, and employees are asked to co-operate with any reasonable request to work additional hours.

7: Remuneration

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company will ensure that the wages paid for a standard working week shall meet at least legal minimum requirements and should always be sufficient to meet basic needs of personnel, and to provide some discretionary income.

Where eligible, overtime will be reimbursed. However, some employees within the management structure, who are paid fixed salaries, are not necessarily eligible for overtime pay, but shall receive salaries, which recognise that overtime may be worked.

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company will ensure that the details of employees gross pay, any deductions such as tax, pension contributions etc, and net pay paid are detailed on a pay advice slip on at least a monthly basis.

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company will ensure that labour-only contracting arrangements and false apprenticeship schemes are not undertaken in an effort to avoid fulfilling its obligations to personnel under applicable laws pertaining to labour and national legislation and regulations.

8: Management Responsibility

The Managing Director, on behalf of the Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company, will ensure that this policy is implemented across its operations and will monitor compliance.

This policy will be made available to third parties when required.

Endorsed by:
Mr. G. W. Ormerod,
Managing Director

Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company • Britannia Mill • Bacup • Lancashire OL13 9RZ • England

© Copyright 2014 Lancashire Sock is Registered in England. VAT No: GB146 4462 64. Reg. No: 00525682. Reg. Office: Britannia Mill, Bacup, Lancashire 0L13 9RZ. All rights reserved.