ANTI MODERN SLAVERY POLICY

In January 2019, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 was implemented in Australia.  It required local businesses within its jurisdiction to eliminate and/or report slavery practices within their organizations. The policy’s main goal is to fight against slavery.  

Other continents and countries where we conduct business have also implemented related policies. The US has the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), New Zealand has laws and policies on Combatting Modern Slavery, UK has its own policies under its Modern Slavery Statement, and Europe has its EU Directive on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Protecting Victims.  

As a business that prioritizes ethics and also an advocate of anti-slavery practices, FITNESSMERCH collaborates solely with suppliers with whom we have already cultivated relationships, ensuring trust in their business track record and operational processes. Our network prefers suppliers holding social and environmental compliance certifications within their countries as well as those who have been compliant with international evaluations such as SMETA and BSCI audits.  

FITNESSMERCH, an online branding company, prioritizes maintaining standards and corporate responsibility. Crafting this policy serves to tackle concerns such as slavery and human trafficking within our organization. This policy underscores our stand against slavery, in both our operations and supply chains.

We strive to make sure that the products we offer and those from our suppliers and partner brands are produced ethically. This involves treating workers fairly and implementing friendly practices.

At FITNESSMERCH, we are against all forms of slavery including forced labor, human trafficking, the exploitation of child labor, and any other unfair practices. Our commitment lies in promoting fairness and dignity and protecting rights in every aspect of our business operations.

We source our products from these countries: China, India, Taiwan, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Poland, USA.

Before doing so, our company puts effort into researching high-risk products or regions affecting our product range. We conduct short courses on high-risk products/regions and how to control our supply chain networks.

Our identified high-risk products/regions include the following:

  • cotton products
  • all apparel
  • confectionery
  • technology
  • wood
  • and all paper products.

 

Specific Actions

We require all suppliers of FITNESSMERCH to strictly follow the following guidelines:

  • Comply with all laws and policies in their home countries. If there are different standards, the one that offers worker protection will be enforced.
  • Provide the resources for ensuring that social compliance measures are fully implemented.
  • Communicate policies to all employees, subcontractors, home workers, temporary and contract workers, and suppliers within the supply chain.
  • Maintain communication with FITNESSMERCH. Allow access to sites and documentation for assessing compliance with social policies.

 

  • Establish a special team that deals with the investigation and disposition of reported cases.
  • Disseminate the reporting procedure and investigation process to encourage reports of such malpractices in the company or the suppliers.
  • Publish flyers to create awareness of the FITNESSMERCH’s Anti-Modern Slavery Policy.
  • Establish a reporting system and hotline number.
  • Conduct regular risk assessments to identify and mitigate modern slavery risks in our supply chains.

 

Relevant Policies

  • Recruitment: We verify the labor practices before hiring from any agency.
  • Child Labour Policy: We adhere to child labor laws in our production and print operations and require the same from all partners and contractors in our supply chain.
  • Whistleblowing Policy: Our employees are given the mandate to report their suspicions on our activities and supply chain.
  • Employee Code of Conduct: Our employees are guided by the expected actions and behavior. That is, all must maintain the highest ethical standards.
  • Supplier Code of Conduct: We have to ensure that all our suppliers follow ethical standards and provide safe working conditions, treat the workers fairly, and act ethically. It is in this note that a Supplier Code of Conduct agreement will be drawn and implemented.
  • Recruitment & Child Labor Policy: Before recruiting, we examine the agencies’ practices. We strictly adhere to child labor laws, and all our partners and contractors must be expected to follow the same.

 

Roles

  • Management: The management is tasked with establishing objectives, allocating resources, and guaranteeing adherence to this policy.
  • Staff: Each staff member is responsible for adopting the above-mentioned practices, reporting any issues, and engaging proactively in anti-modern slavery campaigns and projects.
  • Suppliers: We anticipate our suppliers to uphold our guidelines and work with us in eliminating modern slavery within the supply chain.
  • Policies: Policies on human rights and anti-slavery are developed and approved by our Human Resources department, Procurement team, and Board of Directors.
  • Risk assessments & Investigations: Risk assessments and investigations are conducted by our Human Resources Department and our Procurement team.

 

 

Monitoring

We plan to keep an eye on maintaining compliance with our goals by these steps.

  • Enforcing thorough document checking to ensure that suppliers have our required certifications (SMETA and BSCI).
  • Keeping track of our established reporting systems.
  • Seeking input from our staff, partners, and the local community.
  • Regularly refining our goals and approaches to drive ongoing progress.

 

Communication

We will share this Anti-Modern Slavery Policy with all our staff, suppliers, and partners through the following steps.

  • Conducting periodical training sessions and workshops focusing on anti-modern slavery practices.
  • Sending out internal communications and newsletters to showcase our related efforts and successes.
  • Working together with industry associations, government bodies, and environmental organizations.

 

This policy may be revised at any time without prior notice. All revisions supersede prior policy and are effective immediately upon approval.

At FITNESSMERCH, our Anti-Modern Slavery Policy showcases our dedication to business conduct, human rights protection, and the elimination of modern slavery. We expect all individuals involved in our company operations to endorse and abide by these values in their engagements with our organization.    

Australia

United States

United Kingdom

Europe

New Zealand

MODERN SLAVERY ACT 2018

Modern slavery occurs when an individual is exploited and coerced into labor for profit. It is then the responsibility of companies to ensure that the goods and services they provide are not linked to modern slavery, not only within their facilities but across their entire supply chain. Being part of an industry that relies on sourcing goods from various countries, we understand our duty to act responsibly. We are dedicated to guaranteeing that our supply chain is free from modern slavery practices by taking the following measures:
  • Regularly assessing high-risk product categories or regions in our supply chain.
  • Cultivating strong relationships only with reputable suppliers.
  • Guiding suppliers and requiring them to implement action plans if any concerns arise regarding labor practices.
  • Refusing to engage with suppliers who do not meet our standards and seeking alternative options if current suppliers fail to adhere to our code of conduct.
As an online branding company, we feel morally obligated to ensure that our clients can confidently procure our goods while knowing that we uphold accountability and responsibility. We are committed to guaranteeing that our supply chain is devoid of any instances of modern slavery involving children. Signed, Stephen Barron Managing Director FitnessMerch
Related Links: Australia United States United Kingdom Europe New Zealand

MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT

Modern slavery is when someone is entirely forced to work and not provided with any rights or payments. It is not only essential to avoid modern slavery within the business’ operations itself but also the entire chain of companies involved in the process.

At FITNESSMERCH, we stand for our supply chain to be devoid of practices such as forced labor, child labor, and human trafficking which is integral to our commitment to ethical sourcing.

As an online branding company representing an industry based on acquiring goods from multiple countries, we understand our responsibility. Thus, we are determined to ensure that our business processes are entirely free from any modern slavery, which we will accomplish by implementing the following initiatives.

KEY FEATURES

We periodically map our supply chain and identify product categories or geographical areas that pose higher risks of modern slavery.

We perform risk assessments based on our suppliers’ information to analyze the possibility of modern slavery in our supply chain.

We prioritize building solid relationships with established and reputable suppliers who share our commitment to honest businesses.

Our supplier selection process includes thorough evaluations of their labor practices and adherence to international labor standards.

We provide our suppliers with guidance and suggestions on respecting human labor and human rights.

We ensure that suppliers have ready action plans in case employment concerns arise

FITNESSMERCH has a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery, child labor, and human trafficking.

Our Code of Conduct is comprehensive and clearly stipulates what is expected in terms of labor standards.

We conduct regular audits and other forms of assessments to ensure our ethical standards are met across our branches.

Failure to meet our standards is met with decisive action, such as termination of partnerships with suppliers for inability to comply.

FITNESSMERCH remains committed to making more efforts to reduce modern slavery.

We do these through our partnership and sharing of best practices with industry partners, NGOs, and the government.

FITNESSMERCH does not just see ethical sourcing as an obligation but as one of the values that underpin our mandate for integrity, social responsibility, and human rights. We will always strive to ensure our products and services are sourced ethically. We will continuously be responsible and create initiatives against modern slavery in our structure. Signed, Stephen Barron Managing Director FitnessMerch
Related Links: Australia United States United Kingdom Europe New Zealand