At SERENA DIEGO, we understand the impact the fashion industry can have on the environment. We are committed to doing everything we can to minimise and reduce these negative impacts on our planet, its wildlife and people. We want to build a strong and transparent supply chain, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of every person who works with us, directly or indirectly.

SERENA DIEGO requires that working conditions in its supply chain are safe, that workers are treated lawfully and with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible. This Supplier Code of Conduct (Code) is based on the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) code, which is founded on the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is an internationally recognised code of good labour practice. Our Code outlines the high expectations we have of ourselves and our partners. Every SERENA DIEGO supplier must meet or exceed these guidelines as laid out in our Code.

In this Code, a reference to “you” includes your agents, contractors, subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers. As a valued supplier, SERENA DIEGO requires that you understand the terms of this Code and implement policies and procedures to ensure that our business and our supply chains are meeting the standards of the Code and are compliant in all aspects. Breaches of this Code will require immediate review and corrective action.

SERENA DIEGO choose to partner with suppliers that are already committed to these principles and are themselves in relentless pursuit of continuous improvement. We believe that partnerships based on transparency and collaboration will promote responsible and sustainable practices.

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP

Employers shall adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights under local, national, and international labour and social security laws and regulations.

NON-DISCRIMINATION

You must not discriminate against employees during any stage of the employment relationship. This includes, but is not limited to, hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination, or retirement based on race, caste, nationality, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, health condition, pregnancy, union membership or political affiliation. All employment relationships should include effective mechanisms to protect against discrimination.

HARASSMENT, ABUSE AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION

You are required to treat all employees with respect and dignity. You are strictly prohibited from engaging in physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation.

EMPLOYMENT IS FREELY CHOSEN

You must not use involuntary or forced labour, whether indentured, bonded, prison or labour obtained through slavery or human trafficking. You must not oblige workers to lodge payments, ‘deposits’ or identity papers with their employer. Workers must be free to leave at the end of their shifts, and to leave their employer after reasonable notice.

CHILD LABOUR

Child labour must not be used. Employees must be legally eligible to work and suppliers must comply with applicable child labour laws. You must take reasonable steps to determine the age of people working within the business. No workers are to be employed who are under the minimum local legal age for employment, or the minimum local age for completing mandatory schooling, whichever is higher. Young workers, under the age of 18, must not be exposed to hazardous, unsafe or unhealthy working conditions or materials. Adequate protection against such hazards must be provided to all young workers.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND THE RIGHT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Workers must have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing, and to bargain collectively. You must adopt an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organisational activities, and must allow them reasonable access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace. Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted by law, you must allow the development of parallel means for independent and free association and collective bargaining.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

You must provide employees with a safe, comfortable and healthy work environment which complies with all applicable health and safety laws or regulations.

HOURS OF WORK

You must ensure that working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection to workers. Furthermore, you must ensure the regular work week does not exceed 48 hours or the maximum allowed by the law of the country of manufacture, whichever is less. Employees shall be allowed at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every seven-day period. All overtime work shall be consensual and free from reprisal if declined. Employers shall not request overtime on a regular basis and shall compensate all overtime work at a premium rate, and never exceed the international or local limit (whichever is lower).

WAGES

You must pay each worker such wages and benefits for a standard working week that meet national legal standards or industry benchmark standards in that worker's location of employment, whichever is higher. In any event, you must always pay wages that permit that worker to meet his or her basic needs and to provide some discretionary income. You must provide all workers with written and understandable information about their wages and employment before they commence employment, and about the particulars of their wages in each pay period. You may not make deductions from a worker's wages not provided for by an applicable law without the express permission of the worker concerned. Specifically, you must not make deductions from a worker's wages as a disciplinary measure. You must ensure that all disciplinary measures in relation to a worker are recorded.

SLAVERY, FORCED LABOUR AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

SERENA DIEGO does not tolerate slavery, forced labour or human trafficking in any form, and we will not knowingly work with suppliers who engage in these practices or permit their subcontractors to engage in these practices. We expect our suppliers to fully comply with requirements of applicable slavery, forced labour and human trafficking laws, including and without limitation to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

ENVIRONMENT

We do business with suppliers who share our urgency for and commitment to preserving the environment. You and your suppliers shall agree to respect local and international environmental regulations and standards. You and your suppliers shall commit to excellence in innovative technologies that reduce the impacts your manufacturing has on the environment. Furthermore, you must have policies and procedures in place to manage and minimise their environmental impacts. This includes resource consumption, as well as water and air emissions. Additionally, you must meet all requirements related to chemical restrictions, safely labelling, handling, and storage of approved substances while preventing or mitigating the release of chemicals and hazardous materials. All your employees who handle chemicals must be adequately trained to do so. You must comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations where you do business and undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.

COMMUNITY

SERENA DIEGO aligns with suppliers who are engaged in their communities, by investing in infrastructure, creating education opportunities and promoting social development in the communities where they work and live.

ANIMAL WELFARE

Although we do not use animal derived products, it is our expectation that our suppliers also adhere to the highest standards of care and treatment for all animals within their supply chains, including implementing processes to ensure supply chains engage cruelty-free practices and at minimum, comply with local and international laws and regulations. You must respect and commit to promoting ethical animal welfare practices with a focus on the five freedoms. These include capture, maintaining, breeding, raising, transportation, handling and slaughter. We believe that all such animals, while taking into account their species’ needs, should benefit from freedom from thirst, discomfort, pain, injury or disease, fear and distress and have the freedom to behave naturally. Our expectations are above national and international animal welfare, social and environmental laws and regulations, as well as internationally accepted human and labour rights standards.

UNAUTHORISED SUBCONTRACTING

You must not engage in any subcontracting to perform any work for SERENA DIEGO. Subcontractor use must be discussed and approved in writing. This code applies to all SERENA DIEGO suppliers and subcontractors.