Ethical Statement

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At Vanilla we believe that business should be conducted with total respect for people and the environment. We adopt a rigorous selection process for garment manufacturers, ensuring only those that are totally committed to exceeding our high ethical standards become appointed suppliers. We have never purchased from a supplier that we haven’t inspected and approved personally.

We do not own our factories and choose instead to build strong working relationships with carefully selected suppliers. We employ local agents and staff based in each of our garment factories whose sole focus is to ensure total compliance of our strict ethical standards for suppliers and to test fabric and finished garments at source.

SUPPLY CHAIN CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLIANCE

Our products are manufactured by different supplier organisations employing thousands of people in several countries. We recognise and honour our duty to protect the workforce employed to manufacture our garments and work tirelessly with our suppliers to ensure the provision of fair wages and working hours, safe and hygienic working conditions, regular employment and no discrimination, harsh or inhumane treatment of employees.

In order to manufacture Vanilla garments, each appointed supplier must comply with national and other applicable laws and conform to the following terms as a minimum requirement:

• Children must not be employed below the legal minimum age required by the law of the individual country.
• Employees are to be paid above the legal minimum wage as required by the law of the individual country.
• Working hours must not exceed those set out by local legislation. Overtime must always be voluntary and remunerated at a premium rate.
• Maternity leave must be made available to all female employees.
• Employment is freely chosen and no discrimination is practiced.
• There is no use of forced or involuntary labour and employees are free to leave their employment after reasonable notice.
• Good working conditions must prevail. The provision of adequate washroom facilities and a canteen are essential.
• Primary medical care must be provided on site.
• Correct procedure and policies should be in place to ensure employee health and safety.
• Workers’ representatives are not discriminated against and are allowed access to the workplace to carry out their representative functions.
• Ensure that their own supply chain shares our ethics and is compliant to the Vanilla code of conduct.
• We do not accept outsourcing or the use of homeworkers. Failure to adhere to this condition will result in breach of contract.
• Agree to an independent audit as specified by Vanilla.

FACTORY AUDITING

An ethical audit is a formal examination of the labour practices of a workplace or company. It is a verifiable process to understand, measure, report on and help improve an organisation’s social and environmental performance.

We demand that all of our garment manufacturers hold a valid audit from at least one of the following:

MODERN SLAVERY

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain.

OUR SUPPLIERS

Vanilla operates a supplier policy and maintains a preferred supplier list. We conduct due diligence on all suppliers before allowing them to become a preferred supplier. This due diligence includes an online search to ensure that the particular organisation has never been convicted of offences relating to modern slavery and on-site audits that include a review of working conditions. Our anti-slavery policy forms part of our working agreement with all suppliers and they are required to confirm that no part of their business operations contradicts this policy.

In addition to the above, as part of our contract with suppliers, we require that they confirm to us that:

• They adhere to our ethical policy.
• They hold at least one of the following factory audits; WRAP, SEDEX or BSCI.
• The factory makes audit reports available to Vanilla.
• They have taken steps to eradicate modern slavery within their business.
• They hold their own suppliers to account over modern slavery.
• They pay their employees any prevailing minimum wage applicable within their country of operations.
• They will allow UK employees to audit the factories when requested.
• We may terminate the contract at any time should any instance of modern slavery come to light.