Code of Conduct
General
Gitel respects the laws and regulations in the countries in which it operates and requires that its business partners do the same.
1. Business Ethics
1.1 Enterprise Incorruptible Management
Gitel does not accept any corrupt activities, including but not limited to bribery, conflicts of interest, fraud, extortion, embezzlement, self-enrichment, and unlawful kickbacks, and its business partners shall not engage in, or cause Gitel to engage in, any form of corrupt activities.
1.2 Competition & Advertising
Gitel and its business partners shall comply with applicable competition laws and regulations. This means to not engage in price fixing, market sharing, bid rigging or customer allocation. The content of commercial advertisements in any form should be true, legal, and contain no false or misleading information.
1.3 Data Protection & Intellectual Property
Gitel promises not to disclose confidential information of customers or others in any form or channel, including but not limited to product drawings, testing software, technical data, process, models, samples, products, trade secrets, etc., and to respect and protect the intellectual property rights of others.
2. Human Rights & Labor Standards
2.1 Child Labor
Gitel recognizes the rights of every child to be protected from economic exploitation and from doing work that is likely to be hazardous to their physical, mental or spiritual health, harmful to their moral or social development, or to interfere with their education. No person shall be employed under the age of 18 or under the age for completion of compulsory education, whichever is higher.
2.2 Forced or Bonded Labor
Gitel does not employ or accept any form of forced or bonded labor, prisoners or illegal workers, and expects its business partners to do the same. All employees shall not work against their own will and employees have the right to resign freely with reasonable notice. Employees are not required to submit ID cards, passports, work permits or other personal belongings as conditions of employment.
2.3 Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
Gitel expects its business partners to respect the rights of its employees to have the freedom to join, or not to join, an association of free choice as well as establish an association of free choice, to organize and to bargain collectively and individually in accordance with local laws and regulations. No employee should risk being harassed or retaliated against for exercising these rights.
2.4 Protection of Identity
Gitel respects the reporting rights of employees and provides an effective reporting platform to properly resolve the issues reported by the whistleblower, at the same time, ensures the confidentiality and protection of employee whistleblower.
2.5 Workers’ Contracts, Working Hours and Compensation
Gitel and its business partners shall comply with local laws and regulations regarding workers’ contracts, working hours, including overtime and overtime compensation. Workers should be entitled to a minimum of one day off in seven and to take time off for established national and local holidays. Workers should be granted the stipulated annual leave, sick leave and maternity/paternity leave without any negative repercussions.
2.6 Discrimination, Harassment and Diversity
All employees should be treated with respect and dignity and be given fair and equal opportunities for development. Gitel does not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment in the workplace, and our business partners shall not discriminate against any worker based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age, disability, political opinion, nationality or any other potentially discriminatory factor.
3. Environment
3.1 Environment and Sustainability
Gitel shall meet legal environmental requirements and comply with all required environmental permits and licenses needed for operations. Gitel shall continuously seek ways to reduce the consumption of resources, prevent pollution, and improve the overall environmental impact of its operations. Further, chemicals and hazardous materials shall be labeled properly and safely stored, and recycled, reused and disposed of correctly.
3.2 Mutual Development
Gitel encourages the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies, recommends all business partners to implement certifiable environmental management systems together to promote the principles of sustainable development.
4. Health & Safety
4.1 Work Environment
Gitel is committed to provide a safe work environment, and expects its business partners to do the same. Risks that can cause accidents or impair the health and well-being of individuals while working for Gitel shall be reduced. Therefore, occupational health and safety hazards shall be identified, evaluated and managed through a prioritized process of hazard elimination, engineering controls, and/or administrative controls. For Gitel, a safe work environment means that work areas are kept clean and free from pollution, machines used in production are safe and do not risk the health of the workers, and instructions regarding the use of personal protection and work equipment are adhered to. Personal protective equipment and work equipment shall be provided to the workers. Further, the work environment shall be well lit, and have temperature and noise at acceptable levels. When noise is above acceptable levels, personal protective equipment such as ear protection shall be used. All units should provide adequate and clean changing rooms, washrooms and toilets, separate for men and women.
4.2 Emergency Preparedness
Gitel tests fire alarm and carries out evacuation drills regularly. Hazardous material and equipment are stored according to applicable law. Emergency exits are clearly marked. Exits must not be blocked and should be well lit. All workers shall receive information about the safety arrangements such as emergency exits, fire extinguishers, first aid equipment, etc. An evacuation plan should be displayed on each floor of a building.
4.3 Occupational Injury and Illness
Gitel has established procedures to manage, track and report occupational injuries and illness, Gitel shall record work-related injury cases, provide necessary treatment, investigate the case and implement corrective actions to eliminate similar situations, and facilitate return to work.
5 Conflict Mineral
5.1 Gitel is committed to complying with the applicable sections of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, as well as the requirements of Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which aims to prevent the use of minerals that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or in adjoining countries.
Affected suppliers to Gitel will be required to be “conflict-free” (which means that such supplier does not source conflict minerals that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the DRC or adjoining countries). Each affected supplier to Gitel will be required to provide a completed Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) evidencing such supplier’s commitment to becoming conflict-free and documenting facilities refining and smelting the tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold that it supplies to Gitel.