Mountain Hardwear designs, manufactures and markets outdoor apparel, accessories and equipment. The company manufactures its products in many countries around the world. In order to maintain high standards for decent and humane working conditions in the company's manufacturing operations, Mountain Hardwear has established specific guidelines for its manufacturing partners around the world. Mountain Hardwear’s supplier selection process requires all factories with which the company contracts to operate in compliance with local laws, and, in addition, to meet the specific Standards of Manufacturing Practices set forth below through a company monitored certification process.
Mountain Hardwear believes that the following set of standards will ensure that decent and humane working conditions are provided to the employees of the factories with which Mountain Hardwear contracts. If a factory is found to be in violation of the Standards, corrective action will be taken. If the violation is not corrected, Mountain Hardwear will cease to do business with the offending factory. Mountain Hardwear believes that consumers can have confidence that products manufactured in compliance with these standards are not produced under exploitive or inhumane conditions.
Standards of Practice
Forced Labor
(Contractor) certifies that it does not use any forced labor - prison, indentured, bonded or otherwise.
Child Labor
(Contractor) certifies that no person shall be employed in any factory at an age younger than 15 (or 14 where the law of the country of manufacture allows) or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture where such age is higher than 15.
Harassment or Abuse
(Contractor) certifies every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.
Non-discrimination
(Contractor) certifies that no person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin.
Health and Safety
(Contractor) certifies that workers will be provided a safe and healthy working environment to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of contractors' facilities.
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
(Contractor) certifies that employees' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining will be recognized and respected.
Wages and Benefits
(Contractor) certifies that employees will be paid at least the minimum wage required by local law, or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher.
Hours of Work/Overtime
(Contractor) certifies that it complies with regulations concerning work hours mandated by local laws and uses overtime only when employees are compensated according to local law. Contractor further certifies that it won't allow employees to exceed the maximum number of overtime hours provided by local law.
Benefits
(Contractor) certifies that it complies with all provisions for legally mandated benefits, including but not limited to health care; child care; sick leave; contributions for social security; life, health, workers compensation and other insurance mandated by local law.
Environment
(Contractor) certifies that it complies with applicable country environmental regulations.
Documentation and Inspection
(Contractor) agrees to:
- (A) Certify on an annual basis that each of the above listed Standards is being met.
- (B) Consent to and permit annual inspections of each factory by Mountain Hardwear representatives.
- (C) Maintain on file such documentation as may be needed to demonstrate compliance with Mountain Hardwear’s Standards of Manufacturing Practices
- (D) Make these documents available to Mountain Hardwear for audit inspection upon request.
- (E) Provide employees with the opportunity to report noncompliance with workplace standards outlined herein, free from punishment or prejudice for so doing.
- (F) Post the Standards in the language of the country of manufacture in a common area accessible by all employees.