ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCING BEST PRACTICES

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We are proud members of SEDEX and Full Members of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), and a Certified Australian Trusted Trader.

Our businesses recognise our roles and responsibilities in protecting human rights throughout our Supply Chains through Ethical and Sustainable engagement with our Supply Chain Partners whilst incorporating a commitment to upholding the United Nations Guiding Principles on business and human rights (UNGPS) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) core conventions.

Hotsprings and our Brands associates P.E Nation, and Rebecca Vallance, design, source, and contract manufacture of apparel and associated products which we supply to our National and International Retail Partners via our extensive online service platforms.

Hotsprings was incorporated in 1993 with an embedded commitment to ensure the health, wellbeing, and safety of all workers and today we see these values in operation across our Supply Chains where the principles of sharing success with our Supply Chain Partners and Workers continues.

P.E Nation (Bcorp Certified) entered into partnership with Hotsprings in 2016, and Rebecca Vallance followed in 2017 where they share our group commitments to Ethical and Sustainable Practices across their Supply Chains.

We are proud to have been accepted as Full Members of the ETI after a journey from Foundation Membership which saw dramatic upheaval from the impacts of COVID across Supply Chains, where support and guidance from the ETI and SEDEX enabled us to maintain our vision and commitments with programs that supported our Supply Chain Partners and Workers in those difficult times.

The ETI Base Code and its principles incorporated into SEDEX SMETA Audit Programs have given us a level of transparency across all our Tier 1 Suppliers, who are listed in detail across our collective websites. Our ongoing tracing of our Tiers 2,3 and 4 in conjunction with our Tier 1 Suppliers is included.

With ETI guidance, we have successfully implemented various Workers’ Grievance Reporting Programs, including third-party Workers’ Voice Programs, and most recently, the role out of our “WE CARE: WE LISTEN” Workers’ Grievance reporting program, which operates with support from workers’ representatives and committees. We will continue to work with the ETI and SEDEX towards transparent mitigation and remedy programs.

Our membership of SEDEX; a global organisation dedicated to driving improvements in Ethical and Sustainably Responsible Sourcing business practices across all levels of Supply Chains supports our commitment to operate and manage a responsible sourcing program that provides workers with safe working environments that ensure their Human Rights are upheld whilst enabling protection of their rights to free speech and remediation of grievances in a working environment supported by ongoing improvement programs and initiatives.

Use of ETI resources together with SEDEX systems has given us the ability to identify our Supply Chain's major Salient Rights issues where we have begun the rollout of programs together with our Supply Chain Partners aimed at Mitigation and ongoing improvement along with remediation projects that focus across areas including excessive working hours, correct level of social insurance payments to workers, safety and workers health, payments of living wages, and gender discrimination programs.

We are committed to having our Supply Chain Partners work with us in achieving the ETI goals of ensuring workers the provision of decent work, protection of the vulnerable, access to human rights, a living wage, and dignity for all; free from exploitation and abuse whilst providing opportunities for personal growth.

ETI BASE CODE

  • Employment is freely chosen.

  • Freedom of association.

  • Working conditions are safe and hygienic.

  • Child Labour shall not be used.

  • Living Wages are paid.

  • Working hours are not excessive.

  • No discrimination is practised.

  • Regular employment is provided.

  • No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.

 For more information, please refer to the following links:

Home | Ethical Trading Initiative (ethicaltrade.org)

Sustainable Supply Chain Solutions - Sedex

For further updates on our COVID-19 Statement, please click on link below.

COVID19 Statement.pdf