Social Compliance

OLYMPUS CHEESE SOCIAL COMPLIANCE

Olympus Cheese Social Compliance

At Olympus Cheese, we believe that our success is built on a foundation of sound personal and professional integrity. We understand the challenge of ensuring high social, ethical and environmental standards within our business and throughout our supply chain and are committed to working collaboratively with our suppliers, and customers to ensure that these standards are continually improving. In order to achieve this, Olympus Cheese has developed this social compliance policy based on the internationally acknowledged ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) base code.

This Policy defines minimum standards, along with the basic principles we expect to be acknowledged, and adhered to from all of our suppliers and contractors. We are committed to ensuring that the standards outlined in the policy are effectively implemented, measured and monitored throughout our supply chain and we require the support of our suppliers to achieve this goal.

SCOPE

Olympus Cheese management defines this policy as relevant to the organisation itself, its contractors, suppliers and other parties engaged through the supply chain. Olympus Cheese has documented procedures to underpin the social compliance policy, these being

  • Hiring procedures.
  • Employment practise procedures.
  • Approved Supplier Programs.
  • Working hours and wage management procedures.
  • General facility management (Operational Hygiene).
  • Emergency preparedness procedures.
  • Occupational safety and health procedures that deal with all aspects of employee safety, from induction to on the job and continual training.
  • Chemical purchase, storage and management procedures.

 

GENERAL PROVISIONS

This policy communicates our values and expectations and emphasizes the importance of responsible workplace policies and practices, which comply, at a minimum, with applicable occupational safety and health, environmental and labour laws and regulations. The standards outlined below reflect the values we uphold in our own policies, and we expect our suppliers to observe these standards and requirements, and develop their own robust social awareness procedures:

  1. Employment is freely chosen
    • There is no forced, bonded, indentured or involuntary prison labour. Workers are free to leave their employer at any time.
  2. Working Conditions
    • Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimizing, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment
    • Applicable Occupational Safety and Health regulations will be adhered to, and a working environment which is safe, hygienic and conducive to good ergonomic wellbeing shall be provided. Access to clean, toilet facilities, potable water, and, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.
    • Responsibility for Occupational Safety and Health shall be assigned to a senior management representative; however, it must be accepted, by all employees, that they have responsibility to share an equal role in delivering positive safety and health outcomes on site under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1984.
  3. Child Labour
    • Olympus Cheese does not engage in or support the use of child labour.
    • Olympus Cheese’s Suppliers and Contractors must not recruit child labour.
    • Young people of year 11 or 12 school age must be under a NOA (Notice of Arrangement) issued by the Department of Education, and approved by the minister or his/her delegate.
    • No hazardous work may be carried out by anyone under the age of 18.
  4. Fair wages are paid
    • Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards.
    • All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
    • Wages shall be paid directly to the workers, at the agreed intervals and in full.
    • Terms and conditions of employment will be compliant with national legislation.
    • Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned.
  5. Working Hours
    • Working hours comply with national laws.
    • Working hours comply with applicable hour and benefits laws.
    • Appropriate safeguards are taken to protect the workers’ health and safety.
    • The employer can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply such as
  6. No discrimination is tolerated
    • Olympus Cheese, Suppliers and Contractors must comply fully with local laws regarding equality of employment opportunities and workplace conditions.
    • There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, nationality, origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation, as per Olympus Cheese’s discrimination policy.
  7. Regular employment is provided
    • To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice.
    • Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting, subcontracting, or home working arrangements, or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment
  8. No harsh or inhumane treatment is accepted
    • Physical abuse or discipline, bullying, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.
    • All disciplinary actions must be recorded and be fair, proportionate and fully compliant with local laws.
  9. Protection of the environment
    • Olympus Cheese conducts business in compliance with all applicable environmental laws, rules and regulations, and in accordance with its licence, issued under the environmental protection act 1986.
    • Waste is minimized and items diverted for recycling wherever this is practicable.
    • Effective controls of waste in respect of ground, air and water pollution are adopted.
    • In the case of emergency situations, local HAZMAT and Fire and Rescue are contacted via 000, the emergency response plan has been developed onsite, and will be implemented as Olympus Cheese personnel evaluate the situation.
    • In respect of packaging and paper, undue and unnecessary use of materials is avoided, and recycled materials are used whenever appropriate
    • In respect of energy use, all production and delivery processes, including the use of heating, ventilation, lighting, IT systems and transportation, are based on the need to maximize efficient energy use and to minimize harmful emissions.
  10. Business Integrity
    • Olympus Cheese strives to provide a workplace free of bribery and corruption by complying with all applicable laws relating to bribery, money laundering and/or corruption as well as prohibiting the exchange of money or anything else of value to or from anyone, including government officials, to influence actions or obtain an improper advantage.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOCIAL COMPLIANCE POLICY

Olympus Cheese is committed not only to comply with this Policy within its own business, but to working collaboratively with its suppliers and contractors to drive social awareness throughout the supply chain.

OLYMPUS CHEESE Commits To;

  • Allocate the required resources in order to fully implement the Policy, including an internal system to record and monitor compliance throughout the supply base to this Policy.
  • Assign responsibility for the implementation of this Policy to an appropriately trained management representative who will provide stakeholders with the Policy, compliance updates and ensure the policy is displayed in prominent locations throughout the establishment in “local language”, as well as key internal demographic translations.
  • Work collaboratively with our suppliers, supporting them in the improvement of social, ethical and environmental standards, where required and appropriate.
  • Full compliance with this Policy within our own business and to ensuring that all relevant employees are aware of the Social Compliance Policy.
  • Acknowledge specific national, regional and cultural challenges that may affect compliance.
    Recognize suppliers’ own standards where they are comparable to our own

OLYMPUS CHEESE REQUIRES ITS SUPPLIERS TO

  • Understand, accept, and be aware of our Policy and all applicable laws.
  • Communicate the Policy to all its employees, suppliers, sub-contractors, and temporary and contract workers engaged in their supply chain. (Olympus Cheese will recognise suppliers’ own Policy and standards where they are comparable with our own).

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The Ethical Compliance Policy Statement will be internally audited at least annually, and specifically, the policy will be routinely reviewed at the Company’s Management Review Meetings.

Additionally, the dedicated Occupational Health and Safety Officer will ensure that the most current legislation and international social expectations are collated, reviewed and implemented as required to ensure the adequacy of the Social Compliance Policy Statement, ensuring that Olympus Cheese has a workforce it is proud of, and that is proud to be associated with Olympus Cheese.

MISSION, VISION, VALUES AND PRINCIPALS

Olympus Cheese’s Mission To be a strong and successful Australian producer of dairy products through the ethos of continuous improvement providing the environment and resources for personnel to achieve excellence. We strive to be recognised as a superior supplier of high-quality dairy products within the food industry.

OCCUPATIONAL, SAFETY AND HEALTH

Olympus Cheese is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, contractors, visitors, and other persons legally on the Coorparoo processing plant site. Resources will be made available to comply with appropriate statutes and Standards.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Quality assurance begins at the farm with regular information updates and consultation with producers to encourage supply of top-quality milk. This includes information about stock management and animal welfare.