ProBrand supports collaborative efforts to achieve the best practices in our electronic communications industry in ethical and compliance issues covering a range of topics including diversity and non-discrimination, conflicts of interest, customer and employee data privacy and our commitment to the environment.
Our Code of Business Conduct
ProBrand’s Code of Business Conduct (COBC) addresses ethical and compliance issues covering diversity and nondiscrimination, conflicts of interest, customer and employee data privacy and our commitment to practices that help sustain the environment.
Anti-Corruption/Anti-Bribery
Around the world, we follow ethical business practices in our dealings with government officials, other companies and private citizens. We do not seek to influence them, directly, indirectly, through the payment of bribes or kickbacks or any other unethical payment or inducement. We strive to avoid even the appearance of improper influence. In particular, we are especially vigilant when dealing with government officials. This COBC follows the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), applicable local laws and international standards in the localities where we procure goods and services.
Human Rights, Labor and Worker Protection
We do business with suppliers, third parties and business partners who enhance our level of service, and provide products and services of quality. We encourage our suppliers to share our commitments to human rights (including labor rights), diversity and ethical and sustainable business practices and consider such factors in our selection processes. Pro Brand requires each supplier in its supply chain to comply with local laws and international standards to assure that workers manufacturing its products are protected from unsafe and harmful working conditions, including working hours, exposure to unsafe substances and conditions, harassment and bullying, and unlawful discrimination in the work place. Supplier agrees to establish and maintain policies and procedures to assure that the supply chain is free of such violations and that workers have a fair and reasonable process to complain of abuses in the work place without retaliation in any form including reprisal, intimidation, or harassment.
Standards for and Performance Measurement (Check Points) for Energy Efficiency & Environmental Protection
All our suppliers are encouraged to cooperate with ProBrand to measure the impact of our production and delivery system on the energy consumption and environmental impact of our supply chain. . We are focusing on the areas of energy consumption, water impact, and on seven of the greenhouse gases (“GHG’s”): carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), per fluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen triflouride (NF3). We also avoid the use of substances and chemicals that are regulated in the European Union under RoHS and REACH and those chemicals regulated under Proposition 65. Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. These chemicals can be in the products that Californians purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. By requiring that this information be provided, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals. In addition, we support the ending of violence, human rights violations and environmental devastation from the mining of minerals in the area known as the “conflict Region” in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries. We are committed to complying with any requirements applicable to our Company under these programs (RoHS, REACH, Conflict Minerals Rule, and Proposition 65). As such, your company’s commitment to these programs is required as our supply chain partner. Should you have any questions or as a supplier be unable to meet these requirements, please email us at sustainability@pbigroup.com. We have established our company goals and objectives for improvement of our efficient uses of energy and water and for protecting the environment in cooperation with our selected suppliers. We ask our suppliers to quantify and qualify their own impact on the environment and to establish their own goals and objectives. The underlying principles that are followed call for disclosure and transparency and seek economical means of observing efficiency and environmental protection while keeping our prices competitive within the industry. We encourage our suppliers to join in the disclosure and reporting of their own performance in these areas, if requested.
Freedom of Association
The Company recognizes and protects the rights of its employees to associate and communicate with each other without fear of retaliation or censure Suppliers should strive for effective employee communication as a means of promoting positive employee relations.
Shipping & Transportation
ProBrand is committed to seeking shipping and transportation alternatives for its products, components, and raw materials that take advantage of the modes that are consistent with and supportive of its goals for the efficient use of energy and sustainable protection of the environment. Where economically possible, we consider the efforts of the shipping, rail, and trucking firms we use at reducing the GHG emissions and conserving energy in qualifying for meeting our transportation needs.
Confidential Information and Privacy
ProBrand values and protects confidential information, including information about our intellectual property and that of our customers and suppliers, our employees, operations, finances, and business plans. We may execute non-disclosure agreements or other agreements with confidentiality provisions with a supplier before providing access to confidential information, and we may also include a proprietary or confidential legend on confidential information. Suppliers are required to protect ProBrand’s confidential information and that of its customers disclosed to them in accordance with those agreements and proprietary/confidential legends. Any disclosure of ProBrand’s confidential information, including third-party information which is disclosed by ProBrand with permission under other non-disclosure agreements, is prohibited. This includes inadvertent disclosures, which means that suppliers must not have discussions or displays involving the confidential information in public access areas where the conversations and information could be intercepted or overheard. Suppliers may use ProBrand’s confidential information only for the purposes for which it is provided under the agreements or in compliance with any confidential/proprietary legend, and must not make independent us of ProBrand’s data.