Below is a draft version of the Sama Code of Conduct, a voluntary code developed to help service companies achieve maximum social impact. SAMA CODE OF CONDUCT Worker’s Rights • We provide our employees with on the job training and education to further their personal and professional development. • We actively recruit women, minorities, and other people from marginalized groups. A socially responsible business seeks to reduce poverty and marginalization by empowering people to maximize their potential. Socially responsible businesses seek to hire people from disenfranchised groups in economically depressed regions. • We do not discriminate in any employment decisions. Discrimination is unacceptable in a socially responsible business. Hiring decisions, including compensation, promotions, benefits, and training, are made solely on the basis of skill, ability and performance of workers. Discrimination is not permitted on the basis of race, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, ethnicity, or national origin. • We will not tolerate harassment in the workplace (by employees or managers), particularly when it is based on race, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, ethnicity, or national origin. A socially responsible business promotes a comfortable, non-offensive working environment. • We strive to make our facilities as accessible to people with disabilities as possible. • We pay fair and adequate wages to our employees. In “low-income” World Bank countries, employees are paid at least $0.50/hour (U.S. Dollars)—more than twice the hourly income of someone living at the World Bank Poverty Line (assuming a 40 hour work week); in “lower-middle-income” World Bank countries, employees are paid at least $1.50/hour—more than six times the hourly income of someone living at the World Bank Poverty Line (assuming a 40 hour work week); and in “upper-middle-income” World Bank countries, employees are paid at least $3.00/hour—more than thirteen times the hourly income of someone living at the World Bank Poverty Line (assuming a 40 hour work week). • We do not allow full-time child labor under any circumstances. Socially responsible businesses do not hire any person less than fifteen years of age for full-time labor. Children aged 13 to 15 may work part-time (less than 20 hours per week) if the job is not harmful to their development or health and does not interfere with their education. • We strive to give workers representation in the decision-making process. A socially responsible business aims to have an open environment and listens to the input of employees in all major decisions, particularly those that affect the workers directly. Respect for collective agreements will be practiced at all levels. • We promote a safe working environment and encourage safety conscious behavior by our employees. Commitment to the Community • We will comply with the laws, rules, and regulations in the countries and communities in which we operate. • We will never offer, pay, solicit, or accept bribes in any form, either directly or indirectly. • We will strive to minimize the environmental impact of our operation. • We will make a positive contribution to the professional development of our employees by providing training to our workforce and we will make a positive contribution to the societies in which we operate by supporting local initiatives. A socially responsible business strives to spend at least 40% of annual revenue on employee compensation, employee training programs, employee benefits, and community initiatives. Verification • We will submit to random, on-site verification by Reviewers that we are following this Code of Conduct and the Principles of Socially Responsible Outsourcing. • We will allow Reviewers to conduct annual surveys of our employees to ensure that we are following the Code of Conduct and the Principles of Socially Responsible Outsourcing. • We understand that if we fail to meet these standards, there will be repercussions. Depending on the severity of the violation, we will either have our contract with Samasource revoked or we will be given a "cure period" in which to bring our conduct back up to code. We also understand that Samasource may advise Buyers to cancel any pending contracts if we neglect to follow the Code of Conduct. |