Agriculture and Agribusiness
Codes of Conduct
Safeguards
and
Guidelines
Social and Environmental Safeguards
FoodWorks is conscious that agriculture and rural development have significant impacts on social structures and the environment. Our policy is to mitigate the adverse impacts in order to make food supply more sustainable and socially and environmentally responsible. FoodWorks implements all its projects according to international standards relating to human activity; in particular we put in place a formal framework of measures designed to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable groups including indigenous groups and ethnnic minorities, women and orphans of HIV/AIDS victims as well as the disabled. FoodWorks is also mindful that in the course of project implementation some communities may have to be moved and resettled. The measures taken to mitigate these adverse impacts are known collectively as a Social Safeguards and Resettlement Framework. A copy of the Framework is available on request. We also ensure that the necessary Environmental Assessments are undertaken by consultants or by the investing agency. We also prepare Environment Management Plans if appropriate.
Gender Policy and Code of Conduct
FoodWorks Company Limited has developed an explicit gender policy and Code of Conduct in order to (a) ensure that women are included in and (if possible) prioritized in policies, studies, action plans, and other work projects undertaken by FoodWorks, (b) represented on the FoodWorks staff and associates, and (c) protected from any kind of sexual harassment. All staff, male, female and trans-gender are protected under this Policy and Code of Conduct.
1. WOMEN AT WORK
FoodWorks’s work activities are oriented to consultancy, advisory services and project implementation in challenging environments. In some places we operate office facilities as well as usually male-dominated labour forces at various sites. Much of this work includes women as part of the overall workforce but does not specifically identify them as a separate economic population. Nevertheless, FoodWorks is highly conscious of the importance of women’s role in our operations. FoodWorks sees it as a priority that women’s should play an increasing role in the economy. FoodWorks has made a conscious effort to include women on its staff in both professional and support roles. FoodWorks is and will remain an equal opportunity employer. Women are catered for in the administration and with separate facilities if required.
2. CODE OF CONDUCT
FoodWorks is sensitive to the fact that interactions between men and women and those of other persuasion (lesbian, bi-sexual, gay and trans-gender) in the work place can be cause for concern and potential discord. The Company has established a Code of Conduct that indicates the kind of behavior between the sexes expected by FoodWorks from its staff. The Code includes standards of dress and interaction between staff members. Staff are expected to dress conservatively and in accord with local customs or international standards of professional dress. Communications between the staff (of all genders) are expected to be informal but polite and respectful of the other persons place in the FoodWorks team. FoodWorks staff must at all times be conscious that they represent the company. The Code in particular provides for a formal system of reporting incidents of claimed sexual harassment to supervisors and heads of department. The Code includes an informal review and then if deemed necessary a full and formal enquiry in which a senior manager interviews the victim and the alleged perpetrator. These interviews are recorded and are held in the presence of an independent female person not connected with the incident. During the enquiry period all persons are suspended from work. If a case of sexual harassment is proved, it will be the cause for immediate (same day) termination of the perpetrator’s employment contract.
3. ZERO TOLERANCE
FoodWorks has a zero tolerance policy to any form of abuse, harassment or violence of any sort (verbal, written – including in particular social media - or physical) inflicted on any of its staff or associates or the people in the environment we are working in. Such abuse will be reported immediately to theto the responsible person on site and the individuals concerned withdrawn from the location.
Health and Safety at Work
FoodWorks is committed to the promotion and implementation of the highest health, safety and welfare standards. We proactively attempt to supersede industry standards. Worksite injuries and deaths can and will be prevented. All members of our management team are responsible and accountable for implementing this policy. We minimize the risks created by any of our work activities, products or services, and ensure all employees are involved and participate in communicating the safety message throughout our Company through effective health and safety training. Our safety objectives are as follows:
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Comply with relevant legislation, approved codes of practice and align where necessary with that of our client’s policies.
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To provide information, instruction and supervision for our employees.
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Proactively engage and promote safe working standards throughout the organisation, by providing appropriate tools, equipment, operational processes and safe systems of work covering all our activities
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Provide a place of work that is safe and without risk to health, safety, welfare and the well being of all employees and subcontractors.
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To ensure that all employees are competent at their task and give them adequate training.
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Involve, consult & communicate with matters regarding health and safety.
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To review and revise this policy at regular intervals.
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This policy will be brought to the attention of all employees and all other parties as appropriate.
FoodWorks aims to achieve these objectives by providing adequate resources, support and information. The management accepts responsibility for meeting the above health and safety requirements and for providing sufficient information, instructions and training at all times to achieve this purpose within the frameworks of appropriate regulations and client requirements. We recognize that other stakeholders may be effected by our operations and activities (i.e. visitors, neighbors, contractors etc), and our management team ensures that appropriate levels of safety and information are provided through our processes. We provide suitable health, safety and welfare facilities for all our employees, and provide the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) required for duty. Where risks to health or safety need to be assessed under a specific duty or regulation, we ensure that detailed risk assessments are carried out and that all mitigation actions are implemented. A copy of the Health and Safety Manual is available on request.
Anti-Corruption Policy
One of our guiding principles is compliance with anti-corruption legislation. FoodWorks is a Hong Kong-registered company, and has used Hong Kong SAR, UK and US Anti-Corruption Legislation and Guidlines as the basis of its Anti-Corruption Policy. A Risk Assessment has been conducted to support this Policy. Further Risk Assessments are conducted quarterly or as an event occurs, such as contract award, that prompts action to be taken. This policy outlines acceptable and non-acceptable behaviours to ensure compliance with anti-corruption laws. This includes compliance with all laws, domestic and foreign, prohibiting improper payments, gifts or inducements of any kind to and received from any person, including officials in the private or public sector, customers and suppliers. A full copy of the Policy is available on request.
Quality Assurance and Control Framework
FoodWorks implements all its projects according to international standards relating to the assurance of quality in designs, studies works and materials (QA/QC). The aim is to achieve longer life (operational) spans for more effective and efficient impacts for the projects we undertake. We operate a zero defect policy and 100% quality assurance for materials and works. A copy of the Framework is available on request.
Non-disclosure and Confidentiality
FoodWorks has a total and complete commitment to preserving confidential information. This commitment encompasses all formal documents and information exchanges arising from a given project but also includes emails, messages and verbal exchanges. We take every measure to ensure that confidential information that is necessarily disclosed by our clients is kept safe. In turn we ask our employees and associates that information relating to our work is kept private. In addition we do not share the findings or outcomes of our projects except by mutual agreement or when the findings are in the public domain (e.g., have been posted on a clinet's web site or presented at an open workshop, seminar or meeting). In most if not all cases, confidentiality is part of contract agreements. However on entering discussions with a client or partner or associate and prior to any contract we usually ask that a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement (NDCA) is signed. In the case where information or confidential data is taken from us by any means by unauthorised persons we will pursue them by whatever legal sanctions that are possible. If an NDCA is not signed for any reason, this does not imply the iformation is free to impart to third parties; it must be assumed that in any exchange with FoodWorks that the information is private and confidential.