Code of conduct
Human rights
Human rights are universal and belong to everyone equally - regardless of, but not limited to, age, sex, colour, sexual orientation, gender identity, origin, culture, nationality, citizenship, language, religion, ideology, marital status, economic or social condition, type of occupation, degree of education, disability, pregnancy, and/or political or philosophical affiliation. Kernemilk condemns violations of all internationally declared human rights, understood, at a minimum, as those expressed in the International Bill of Human Rights and the principles concerning fundamental rights set out in the International Labour Organisation's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. People must be treated with dignity and respect regardless of social status or rank. The supplier warrants to respect and support and not to violate such internationally declared human rights. The national laws of the supplier and subcontractors must as a minimum be complied with at all times; this is warranted by the supplier. In situations where this Code of Conduct (CoC) turns out to be in violation of mandatory national laws of the supplier and subcontractors, the national laws apply, but the supplier must in such case immediately inform Kerne.milk hereof in writing. This applies not only to this appendix but to all the principles and appendices. The focus should always be on further progress and development. Minimum criteria should be regarded as optimal objectives.
Discrimination
We do not accept discrimination in regard to race, skin colour, religion, political or sexual orientation, gender, national origin, or social rank or status. Workers should be hired because of their ability to do the job and not because of their individual characteristics. Creating and fostering equality and endorsing equal rights should be the sound base for any company. Female applicants are not to be tested for pregnancy and not to be discriminated against for their hiring, advancement, discipline, or retirement practice.
Animals
No animal must deliberately be harmed or exposed to pain. Taking the lives of animals must at all times be conducted by trained personnel using the quickest and least painful and non-traumatic methods available. These must be approved by trained veterinarians and conducted by competent personnel. It is important to recognize and respect that animals have a mind and body, which can be harmed due to wrong, ignorant or brutal treatment. Kernemilk regards the protection and respect of animals as very important. The supplier and subcontractors warrant that they adopt the same view and stance. The supplier and subcontractors must submit documentation demonstrating that animals used for fashion have been treated in accordance with welfare standards that are at least equivalent to the provisions made in international standards and that voluntary welfare schemes are also in place where appropriate
Labour
The labour force must have easy access to food , sanitary, food storage, fresh clean potable water, toilet facilities, and medical aid. Access here shall never be unreasonably withheld. Wages must at least be the minimum as required by national law and business standards - whichever is the higher. Wages above the minimum requirement are encouraged to attract the best and most stable labour force, and wages must - considering the working hours - always be sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers and their families and provide some dictionary income. We do not use prison or forced labour. We do not under any circumstances support forced or bonded labour, trafficking, or the exploitation of human beings in general. Trafficking and exploiting another human being for the purpose of monetary gains is not in alignment with the Kernemilks ideals. We can only condemn such actions in every respect.
Child Labour
We do not accept child labour and do our utmost to determine the correct age of the workers employed by us and our production facilities. More concretely, we reject work that deprives children of their dignity, and whatever is harmful to their physical and mental development, e.g. heavy, night, or dangerous work. The supplier and subcontractors must comply with the ILO conventions’ recommendations regarding the minimum age for workers, which is generally the maximum age for compulsory schooling and child labour. Reference on this issue is made to; UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age ILO Convention No. 182 Worst Forms of Child Labour It is stressed that work performed by a child (under the age of 18) may not in any way be mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous or harmful to children; shall not interfere with the schooling of children; shall not deprive the children of the opportunity to attend school; shall not oblige the children to leave school prematurely; and shall not require the children to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and strenuous work. The supplier must do its utmost to secure and determine the correct age of the workers employed and such verification must be available in writing for audits. Use of child labour or young workers (between the age of 15 to 18) in conflict with the above is not allowed and at all times children and young workers must be treated with dignity and respect
Anti-Corruption
Kernemilk recognizes that corruption, including extortion, facilitation payments, and bribery, in some countries are considered normal and has been found to be necessary to secure a firm and continue running business. However the supplier and subcontractors must strive towards a business where corruption is eliminated - hence no bribery, improper gifts, or the like can be offered or accepted. The supplier shall take initiatives and actions in response to incidents of corruption. The supplier (and subcontractors) must inform Kernemilk in writing of any corruption and bribery activities that they are involved in because they feel pressured to do so and/or to handle the orders for Kernemilk. Such information must if possible be submitted before accepting the behavior or demand. The highest standards of integrity are to be expected in all business interactions. In general, any forms of corruption, extortion, and embezzlement are strictly prohibited and the supplier must understand that such activities may result in immediate termination of the business relationship, communication to relevant authorities and organizations, as well as legal action.
Models
The fashion industry has an important impact on body image and beauty ideals, especially among young people. Kernemilk only uses models over the age of 16 for shows during fashion weeks. If a model under the age of 16 is used for a photo shoot or a show, close contact with the family as well as written consent must be secured.