Verhaltenskodex  Code of conduct  Code de conduite 

Code of conduct

Following the "Code of Conduct" of the United Nations, Seidel has defined its general principles of conduct for employees and business partners.

 

Preamble

Ethical business standards are part of our core philosophy. Only consistent and sustainable commit-ments to these values will ensure our long term success and, as such, are an essential component of our daily activity. As an international company we are committed at all times to comply with various legal regulations and international agreements, in particular for the protection of human rights and the fight against corruption. The following Code of Conduct defines the requirements of Seidel GmbH & Co. KG. All employees are required to follow these principles consistently and report violations imme-diately. Compliance with this Code of Conduct is also expected from all of our business partners.

 

Corruption, bribery and corruptibility

Corporate and private interests are fundamentally separable. Accordingly, it is prohibited for any em-ployee to take advantage of any kind or to grant advantage to third parties, which may influence the objectivity and fairness of any business transaction. Accepting gifts with a value greater than 10€, and payments, services or referrals beyond normal business hospitality or any other sensible transaction like that are expressly forbidden. Conse-quences of violating this policy may lead to termination of employment and criminal proceedings.

 

Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining

All employees have the freedom to create associations to protect employee’s interests, and to join or leave these associations without incurring any penalty or unfair treatment. The works council as employee representation is a matter of course for us.

 

Observance of human rights

Each and every employee must respect internationally recognized human rights and must uphold those rights. Of course, we also ensure that human rights are respected in relation to third parties - for example by our partners and suppliers.

 

Rejection of forced labor

We reject any instance of forced labour. All employees carry out their work on the basis of a voluntary agreement and without threat of violence or other penalties.

 

Rejection of child labor

Child labour and the exploitation of children and adolescents are decisively rejected. The minimum entry age of an employee is 15 years. The provisions relating to the protection of young workers are to be fully respected.

 

Wages

We are committed to following all applicable wage laws and regulations, including statutory minimum wages, overtime hours and social benefits. Deductions from wages as disciplinary measurements are not allowed. Wages are disclosed to our employees in form of payroll accountings.

 

Working hours

We are committed to following applicable hour laws and regulations, industry standards or the relevant ILO conventions. Overtime hours shall be on a voluntary basis. Workers shall have at least one day off in seven days.

 

Non-discrimination and equal opportunities

No one shall be discriminated against because of gender, race, disability, ethnic or cultural origin, reli-gion or belief, age or sexual orientation. All employees must adhere to this policy. This policy also applies to compensation and advancement opportunities within the company.

 

Health and safety

We ensure a safe and healthy work environment. The application of an appropriate work safety system guarantees best possible precautionary measures against accidents and health problems which may arise in connection with the activity. Clean sanitation, access to safe drinking water and hygienic devic-es for the storage of food must be available to all employees. Work with dangerous goods is only allowed in compliance with relevant safety regulations and after extensive training.

 

Liability to inform

We undertake all necessary measures to communicate our Code of Conduct to the employees. We ensure that our employees get the opportunity to ask questions about the Code of Conduct.

 

Environmental protection and energy efficiency

Protecting the environment is a fundamental part of our corporate philosophy and is perceived as a dynamic process. Each and every employee is required to be aware of this and comply with the environmental impact of his / her actions. Our top priority is avoiding waste rather than reducing it - the cleanest energy is the energy which we do not use. This principle is practiced by all employees. Where it is possible, we use recyclable or recycled products. All provisions relating to the protec-tion of soil, water, air, biodiversity, and cultural goods are strictly observed.

We are committed to take measures for a responsible and sustainable sourcing of goods and ma-terials to ensure that laws and regulations are respected. We commit our subcontractors to ensure that no goods and materials are delivered to Seidel, that were produced on the basis of materials originating from conflict zones (especially the conflict minerals gold, tantalum, tin, tungsten and their as conflict-fraught classified derivatives), where armed groups are directly or indirectly fi-nanced with their sale.

We remove local soiling immediately and ensure that the original condition is restored. Our production materials, chemicals and waste are stored separately and disposed of accordingly. In this way, we ensure that resources are used sparingly and create the possibility of optimally recycling resources that are no longer used.

 

Business secrets

All employees are obliged to keep in confidence all business matters brought to their attention, in par-ticular operational and business secrets. This obligation persists even after termination of employment.

This also includes consistent compliance with our data protection measures and guidelines.

 

Subcontractors

We convey the principles here described on our subcontractors and other business partners who are involved in the manufacture of our products and services. We encourage these parties, to apply the same standards.

 

Competitive behavior

We are committed to dealing fairly with our business partners as well as with third parties and we sup-port free and undistorted competition based on compliance with the competition and antitrust laws. We strongly reject any agreements or practices between companies that aim to restrict, distort or prevent fair competition. We will not tolerate conflicts of interest, fraud, money laundering or any other form of anti-competition.

 

Responsible marketing

We are a reliable partner and therefore only communicate information that is factually correct. We believe in transparency and comprehensibility.

 

 

Please find here the PDF Version of the Code of Conduct for our suppliers to sign.

 

 

Date: 2020 - 06 - 18