Engage Ethical Considerations In Our Business Operations
In an increasingly competitive market place more and more organisations are employing labour and services globally as well as locally.
Less employment regulation in areas of the world where there is an availability of labour and manufacturing capability – in the Far East, Asia, South America and Eastern Europe - means that employees in these regions are vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous operators, leading to unacceptably low wages and unsafe working conditions.
As a business which produces social expression and principally celebratory products, our customers and consumers need to be assured that those involved in the manufacture of these products, on our behalf, work in a safe environment and enjoy acceptable living standards.
Our approach ensures we support local people and local economies in less developed areas, contributing positively to living standards.
Sedex Membership
UK Greetings is a member of Sedex (Suppliers Ethical Data Exchange) and undergoes periodical independent audits at our manufacturing sites in the UK and Italy to ensure compliance with the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) Base Code.
Our UK and Italian manufacturing sites have successfully undertaken independent audits, the results of which are posted on the Sedex website.
During 2009 we have continued to work with our overseas supplier base, encouraging them to join Sedex and register their factory details. We complete a Sedex Members Ethical Trading Audit at all factories, then work with the factories encouraging them to address any non conformances that have been identified within a set time scale. As a result, our customers and consumers can have confidence that UK Greetings product is produced to high ethical labour standards, regardless of where in the world the product is produced.
We continually review our supply chain to ensure that, in addition to meeting the requirements of the ETI Base Code, we also satisfy the most demanding of ethical or technical audits required by our customers.