A.LABOR

Suppliers are committed to uphold the human rights of workers, and to treat them with dignity and respect as understood by the international community. This applies to all workers including temporary, migrant, student, contract, direct employees, and any other type of worker. The recognized standards, as set out in the annex, were used as references in preparing the Code and may be a useful source of additional information.
The labor standards are:
1)Freely Chosen Employment
Forced, bonded (including debt bondage) or indentured labor, involuntary or exploitative prison labor, slavery or trafficking of persons shall not be used. This includes transporting, harboring, recruiting, transferring or receiving persons by means of threat, force, coercion, abduction or fraud for labor or services. There shall be no unreasonable restrictions on workers’ freedom of movement in the facility in addition to unreasonable restrictions on entering or exiting company provided facilities including if applicable, workers’ dormitories or living quarters.. As part of the hiring process, workers must be provided with a written employment agreement in their native language that contains a description of terms and conditions of employment prior to the worker departing from his or her country of origin and there shall be no substitution or change(s) allowed in the employment agreement upon arrival in the receiving country unless these changes are made to meet local law requirements and would provide equal or better terms. All work must be voluntary and workers shall be free to leave work at any time or terminate their employment without penalty if reasonable notice is given as per worker’s contract.. Employers and agents may not hold or otherwise destroy, conceal, confiscate or deny access by employees to their identity or immigration documents, such as government-issued identification, passports or work permits, unless such holdings are required by law. Workers shall not be required to pay employers’ or agents’ recruitment fees or other related fees for their employment. If any such fees are found to have been paid by workers, such fees shall be repaid to the worker.Suppliers should follow “HJTC Prohibition of Forced Labor Management Procedure”.
2)Employment of Minors
The use of child labor is prohibited in any stage of manufacturing. The term “child” refers to any person under the age of 15, or under the age for completing compulsory education, or under the minimum age of employment in the country, whichever is greatest. The use of legitimate workplace learning programs, which comply with all laws and regulations, is supported. Workers under the age of 18 (Young Workers) shall not perform work that is likely to jeopardize their health or safety, including night shifts and overtime. Suppliers shall ensure proper management of student workers through proper maintenance of student records, rigorous due diligence of educational partners, and protection of students’ rights in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Suppliers shall provide appropriate support and training to all student workers. In the absence of local law, the wage rate for student workers, interns and apprentices shall be at least the same wage rate as other entry-level workers performing equal or similar tasks. If child labor is identified, assistance/remediation is provided.
3)Working Hours
Studies of business practices clearly link worker strain to reduced productivity, increased turnover and increased injury and illness. Working hours are not to exceed the maximum set by local law.Further, a workweek should not be more than 60 hours per week, including overtime, except in emergency or unusual situations.
4)Wages and Benefits
Compensation paid to workers shall comply with all applicable wage laws, including those relating to minimum wages, overtime hours and legally mandated benefits. In compliance with local laws, workers shall be compensated for overtime at pay rates greater than regular hourly rates. Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted. For each pay period, workers shall be provided with a timely and understandable wage statement that includes sufficient information to verify accurate compensation for work performed. All use of temporary, dispatch and outsourced labor will be within the limits of the local law.
5)Humane Treatment
There is to be no harsh or inhumane treatment including sexual harassment, sexual abuse, corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse of workers, nor is there to be any threat of such treatment. Disciplinary policies and procedures in support of these requirements shall be clearly defined and communicated to workers.
6)Non-Discrimination
Suppliers should be committed to a workforce free of harassment and unlawful discrimination. Companies shall not engage in discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ethnicity or national origin, disability, pregnancy, religion, political affiliation, union membership, covered veteran status, protected genetic information or marital status when hiring or determining employment practices such as wages, promotions, rewards, and access to training. Workers shall be provided with reasonable accommodation for religious practices. In addition, workers or potential workers should not be subjected to medical tests, including pregnancy or virginity tests, or physical exams that could be used in a discriminatory way. This was drafted in consideration of ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (No.111).
7)Freedom of Association
In conformance with local law, suppliers shall respect the right of all workers to form and join trade unions of their own choosing, to bargain collectively and to engage in peaceful assembly as well as respect the right of workers to refrain from such activities. Workers and/or their representatives shall be able to openly communicate and share ideas and concerns with management regarding working conditions and management practices without fear of discrimination, reprisal, intimidation or harassment.

B. HEALTH and SAFETY

Suppliers recognize that in addition to minimizing the incidence of work-related injury and illness, a safe and healthy work environment enhances the quality of products and services, consistency of production and worker retention and morale. Suppliers also recognize that ongoing worker input and education is essential to identifying and solving health and safety issues in the workplace. Recognized management systems such as OHSAS 18001 and ILO Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health were used as references in preparing the Code and may be a useful source of additional information.
The health and safety standards are:
1)Occupational Safety
Worker potential for exposure to health and safety hazards (e.g., chemical, electrical and other energy sources, fire, vehicles, and fall hazards) are to be identified and assessed, and controlled through proper design, engineering and administrative controls, preventative maintenance and safe work procedures (including lockout/ tagout ), and ongoing occupational health and safety training. Where hazards cannot be adequately controlled by these means, workers are to be provided with appropriate, well-maintained, personal protective equipment and educational materials about risks to them associated with these hazards. Reasonable steps must also be taken to remove pregnant women/nursing mothers from working conditions with high hazards, remove or reduce any workplace health and safety risks to pregnant women and nursing mothers including those associated with their work assignments, as well as include reasonable accommodations for nursing mothers.
2)Emergency Preparedness Potential emergency situations and events are to be identified and assessed, and their impact minimized by implementing emergency plans and response procedures including: emergency reporting, employee notification and evacuation procedures, worker training and drills, appropriate fire detection and suppression equipment, clear and unobstructed exit facilities and recovery plans. Such plans and procedures shall focus on minimizing harm to life, the environment and property.
3)Occupational Injury and Illness
Proper design, engineering and administrative control systems are to be in place to prevent, manage, track and report occupational injury and illness including provisions to: identify and evaluate hazard factors; encourage worker reporting; classify and record injury and illness cases; provide necessary medical treatment assistance; investigate cases and implement corrective actions to eliminate their causes; and facilitate return of workers to work.
4)Industrial Hygiene
Worker exposure to hazardous chemical, biological and physical agents is to be identified, evaluated, and controlled according to the hierarchy of controls. Potential hazards are to be eliminated or controlled through proper design, engineering and administrative controls. When hazards cannot be adequately controlled by such means, workers are to be provided with and use appropriate, well-maintained, personal protective equipment. Protective programs shall include educational materials about the risks associated with these hazards.
5)Physically Demanding Work
Worker exposure to the hazards of physically demanding tasks, including manual material handling and heavy or repetitive lifting, prolonged standing and highly repetitive or forceful assembly tasks are to be identified, evaluated and controlled.
6)Machine Safeguarding
Production and other machinery shall be evaluated for safety hazards. Physical guards, interlocks and barriers are to be provided and properly maintained where machinery presents an injury hazard to workers.
7)Sanitation, Food, and Housing
Workers are to be provided with ready access to clean toilet facilities, potable water and sanitary food preparation, storage, and eating facilities. Worker dormitories provided by the supplier or a labor agent are to be maintained to be clean and safe, and provided with legitimate fire protection systems, adequate emergency exits, hot water for bathing and showering, sufficient lighting, heat and ventilation, individually secured accommodations for storing personal and valuable items, and reasonable personal space along with reasonable entry and exit privileges.
8)Health and Safety Communication
Suppliers shall provide workers with appropriate workplace health and safety information and training in the language of the worker or in a language the worker can understand for all identified workplace hazards that workers are exposed to, including but not limited to mechanical, electrical, chemical, fire, and physical hazards.. Health and safety related information shall be clearly posted in the facility or placed in a location identifiable and accessible by workers. Training is provided to all workers prior to the beginning of work and regularly thereafter. Workers shall be encouraged to raise safety and hygiene concerns.
9)Natural Disaster Risk Mitigation
Suppliers shall be aware of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, typhoons, etc. relevant to its facilities, and assess their likelihood and impact of personnel injury, property damage, and operational disruptions. The risks should be mitigated through establishing hardware protection, developing emergency response procedures, training and drills, and conducting emergency plans.

C. ENVIRONMENTAL

Suppliers recognize that environmental responsibility is integral to producing world class products. In manufacturing operations, adverse effects on the community, environment and natural resources are to be minimized while safeguarding the health and safety of the public. Recognized management systems such as ISO 14001 and the Eco Management and Audit System (EMAS) were used as references in preparing the Code and may be a useful source of additional information.
The environmental standards are:
1)Environmental Permits and Reporting
All required environmental permits (e.g. discharge monitoring), approvals and registrations are to be obtained, maintained and kept current and their operational and reporting requirements are to be followed.
2)Pollution Prevention and Resource Reduction
Emissions and discharges of pollutants and generation of waste are to be minimized or eliminated at the source or by practices such as adding pollution control equipment; modifying production, maintenance and facility processes; or by other means. The use of natural resources, including water, fossil fuels, minerals and virgin forest products, is to be conserved or used in conjunction with practices such as modifying production, maintenance and facility processes, materials substitution, re-use, conservation, recycling or other means.
3)Hazardous Substances
Chemicals and other materials posing a hazard to humans or the environment are to be identified, labeled and managed to ensure their safe handling, movement, storage, use, recycling or reuse and disposal.
4)Solid Waste
Supplier shall implement a systematic approach to identify, manage, reduce, and responsibly dispose of or recycle solid waste (hazardous and non-hazardous).
5)Air Emissions
Air emissions of volatile organic chemicals, aerosols, corrosives, particulates, ozone depleting chemicals and combustion by-products generated from operations are to be characterized, routinely monitored, controlled and treated as required prior to discharge. Suppliers shall conduct routine monitoring of the performance of their air emission control systems.
6)Materials Restrictions
Suppliers are to adhere to all applicable laws, regulations and customer requirements regarding prohibition or restriction of specific substances in products and manufacturing, including labeling for recycling and disposal.
7)Water Management
Suppliers shall implement a water management program that documents, characterizes, and monitors water sources, use and discharge, seeks opportunities to conserve water and controls channels of contamination. All wastewater is to be characterized, monitored, controlled, and treated as required prior to discharge or disposal. Supplier shall conduct routine monitoring of the performance of its wastewater treatment and containment systems to ensure optimal performance and regulatory compliance.
8)Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Energy consumption and all relevant Scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions are to be examined, tracked and documented, at the facility and/or corporate level. Suppliers are to look for cost-effective methods to improve energy efficiency and to minimize their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
9) Biodiversity Maintenance
Avoid constructing manufacturing facilities or engaging operations adjacent to globally or nationally protected biodiversity areas. If the operating activities are adjacent to key biodiversity areas, sequential measures such as avoidance, minimization, restoration and offset will be taken to reduce ecological impact. The Company is committed to biodiversity conservation with the goal of Net Positive Impact on the environment and ecology.Comply with the international or local forestry laws or policies, and follow the principle of Zero Net Deforestation, so as to avoid deforestation.

D. ETHICS

To meet social responsibilities and to achieve success in the marketplace, Suppliers and their agents are to uphold the highest standards of ethics including:
1)Business Integrity
The highest standards of integrity are to be upheld in all business interactions. Suppliers shall have a zero tolerance policy to prohibit any and all forms of bribery, corruption, extortion and embezzlement.
2)No Improper Advantage
Bribes or other means of obtaining undue or improper advantage are not to be promised, offered, authorized, given or accepted. This prohibition covers promising, offering, authorizing, giving or accepting anything of value, either directly or indirectly through a third party, in order to obtain or retain business, channel business to any person, or otherwise gain an improper advantage. Monitoring and enforcement procedures shall be implemented to ensure compliance with anti-corruption laws.
3)Disclosure of Information
All business dealings should be transparently performed and accurately reflected on suppliers’ business books and records. Information regarding supplier labor, health and safety, environmental practices, business activities, structure, financial situation and performance is to be disclosed in accordance with applicable regulations and prevailing industry practices. Falsification of records or misrepresentation of conditions or practices in the supply chain is unacceptable.
4)Intellectual Property
Intellectual property rights are to be respected. Transfer of technology and know-how is to be done in a manner that protects intellectual property rights. Customer and supplier information is to be safeguarded.
5)Fair Business, Advertising and Competition
Standards of fair business, advertising and competition are to be upheld.
6)Protection of Identity and Non-Retaliation
Programs that ensure the confidentiality, anonymity and protection of supplier and employee whistleblowers (any person who makes a disclosure about improper conduct by an employee or officer of a company, or by a public official or official body) are to be maintained, unless prohibited by law. Suppliers should have a communicated process for their personnel to be able to raise any concerns without fear of retaliation.
7)Responsible Sourcing of Minerals
Suppliers shall have a policy to reasonably assure that the tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold in the products they manufacture do not directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups that are perpetrators of serious human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country. Suppliers shall exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of these minerals and make their due diligence measures available to customers upon customer request.
8)Privacy
Suppliers are to commit to protecting the reasonable privacy expectations of personal information of everyone they do business with, including suppliers, customers, consumers and employees. Suppliers are to comply with privacy and information security laws and regulatory requirements when personal information is collected, stored, processed, transmitted, and shared.
9)Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest, such as situations where a HJTC employee or a close relative (parent, child, spouse or sibling) is a significant investor or shareholder in your company (as non-publicly traded stock), should be avoided to prevent misconduct. Excessive or overly-frequent socializing with your HJTC business contacts may also create a conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Social contact must be within accepted cultural business norms, and relationships that become conflicts of interest must be reported. If a potential conflict is discovered, you should report such incident immediately to HJTC and take corrective actions to ensure that no inappropriate actions result from the conflict and relationships that become conflicts of interest must be reported and suspended or resolved.
10)Shipping and Transportation
Know and follow all laws related to the shipping, handling and transportation of products to or on behalf of HJTC. This includes source country export and customs laws, destination country import and customs laws, paying all necessary duties and taxes and following local transportation laws. Procedures and training will be provided to employees and contracted service providers to ensure safe handling of materials to, from and at HJTC.
11)Performing Services as Authorized
Passing on obligations under a contract or purchase order for products or services to another party that HJTC expects you to perform, or providing products or services without a properly executed purchase order, supply contract or service contract is prohibited.

E. MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS>

Suppliers shall adopt or establish a management system whose scope is related to the content of this Code. The management system shall be designed to ensure: (a) compliance with applicable laws, regulations and customer requirements related to the supplier’s operations and products; (b) conformance with this Code; and (c) identification and mitigation of operational risks related to this Code. It should also facilitate continual improvement.
The management system should contain the following elements:
1)Company Commitment
A corporate social and environmental responsibility policy statement affirming suppliers’ commitment to compliance and continual improvement, endorsed by executive management, posted in the facility in the local language.
2)Management Accountability and Responsibility
The supplier clearly identifies senior executive and company representative[s] responsible for ensuring implementation of the management systems and associated programs. Senior management reviews the status of the management system on a regular basis.
3)Legal and Customer Requirements
A process to identify, monitor and understand applicable laws, regulations and customer requirements, including the requirements of this Code.
4)Risk Assessment and Risk Management
A process to identify the legal compliance, environmental, health and safety (areas to be included in a risk assessment for environmental health and safety are production areas, warehouse and storage facilities, plant/facilities support equipment, laboratories and test areas, sanitation facilities (bathrooms), kitchen/cafeteria and worker housing/dormitories) and labor practice and ethics risks associated with supplier’s operations. Determination of the relative significance for each risk and implementation of appropriate procedural and physical controls to control the identified risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
5)Improvement Objectives
Written performance objectives, targets and implementation plans to improve the supplier’s social environmental ,and health and safety performance, including a periodic assessment of the supplier’s performance in achieving those objectives.
6)Training
Programs for training managers and workers to implement suppliers’ policies, procedures and improvement objectives and to meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
7)Communication
A process for communicating clear and accurate information about suppliers’ policies, practices, expectations and performance to workers, suppliers and customers.
8)Worker Feedback, Participation and Grievance
Ongoing processes, including an effective grievance mechanism, to assess employees’ understanding of and obtain feedback on or violations against practices and conditions covered by this Code and to foster continuous improvement.
9)Audits and Assessments
Periodic self-evaluations to ensure conformity to legal and regulatory requirements, the content of the Code and customer contractual requirements related to social and environmental responsibility.
10)Corrective Action Process
A process for timely correction of deficiencies identified by internal or external assessments, inspections, investigations and reviews.
11)Documentation and Records
Creation and maintenance of documents and records to ensure regulatory compliance and conformity to company requirements along with appropriate confidentiality to protect privacy.
12)Supplier Responsibility
Suppliers shall adopt a corporate procurement policy to ensure responsible sourcing and the sustainability of its supply chain, and shall establish a process to communicate the Code’s requirements to next-tier suppliers and to monitor their compliance to the Code.