Mayflower Stitchery fully supports efforts to eliminate forced labor and human trafficking. Everyone in our enterprise is expected to demonstrate integrity in all relationships when dealing with suppliers and customers.
Mayflower Stitchery’s purchasing terms require that suppliers comply with applicable laws and regulations. Many of our external suppliers have not been explicitly required to certify or to undergo audit in order to verify the absence of forced labor or human trafficking. Consequently, Mayflower Stitchery has established and adopted the Guidelines on Social Responsibility (see below). These guidelines set forth our expectations regarding fair labor requirements, positive working environments, compliance with legal and environmental regulations, and other topics. Mayflower Stitchery expects its suppliers, business partners, distributors, and any other representatives to maintain this same level of social responsibility.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor,” has noted that garments and textiles have been determined to be sectors at risk. Some finished apparel and other textile products made by Mayflower Stitchery are placed on the market for our retail business customers, many of which have programs in place to address forced labor and human trafficking, and all of which are encouraged to review and abide by the Guidelines on Social Responsibility.
We continue to review our enterprise for potential risks of modern slavery and human trafficking, and commit to mitigating those risks wherever we find them.
Guidelines on Social Responsibility:
Mayflower Stitchery is committed to conducting its business with integrity, both legally and ethically. Mayflower Stitchery’s Guidelines on Social Responsibility (Guidelines) are consistent with industry-specific requirements and practices, such as the Fair Labor Association Workplace Code of Conduct, and based on International Labor Organization (ILO) standards, the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on Children’s Rights, the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the UN Global Compact, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
These guidelines require:
1. Legal compliance: Conduct business operations in compliance with applicable national and local laws, rules, regulations, and any other relevant statutory requirements applicable to our business operations, including but not limited to those which are related to human rights, labor practices, the environment, safety, sanitation codes, and building safety codes. Comply with anticorruption, antitrust, and other laws that regulate competition and trade in each country or region where business is conducted.
2. Anti-corruption: In addition to complying with applicable law, compete for business fairly, ethically, and legally. Follow generally accepted international practices to prevent bribery and corruption.
3. Freely chosen employment: Offer employment freely, and do not use involuntary labor, forced, indentured, bonded or otherwise. Do not permit forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children or adults, debt bondage, serfdom, or forced or compulsory labor.