California Transparency in Supply Chain Act

The Vellori Group supports the goals of the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (“Act”) and strives to be a model example of human rights and fair labor practices in all of its business operations.

The Vellori Group selects the best suppliers in its industry—those who excel not only in the quality of their products and services, but also in their social and environmental practices. To this end, the Vellori Group chooses its suppliers based on both ethics and integrity in their commercial relationships, as well as the social and environmental principles that guide their operations.

The implementation of the Act represents an opportunity for the Vellori Group to reaffirm its commitment to implementing measures that combat slavery and human trafficking. As a responsible company, the Vellori Group has long integrated the standards of the Act into its daily business operations.

The Vellori Group’s actions in this area include the following:

Verification of Supplier Requirements

The Vellori Group has implemented the Vellori Group Code of Conduct (“Code”) for its suppliers. The Code establishes non-negotiable minimum standards for the Vellori Group’s suppliers in the areas of health and safety, labor standards, business integrity, and environmental protection. Additionally, the Vellori Group may conduct third-party audits of its suppliers, as described below, to verify compliance with these minimum standards.

Further information can be found at www.sa-intl.org and www.pactemondial.org, which set forth the standards incorporated into the Vellori Group’s Code.

Supplier Audits

The Vellori Group audits suppliers that present a high risk of labor condition violations, based on an analysis of the supplier’s business volume and the risk of labor abuses in the country where the supplier is located. The Vellori Group announces the audit and subsequently delegates it to an independent third party, which is responsible for ensuring that suppliers comply with the SA8000 standards of Social Accountability International—an internationally standardized code of conduct for improving working conditions worldwide.

Supplier Certification of Compliance

The Vellori Group requires its suppliers to sign and strictly comply with the Code.

Maintaining Accountability

If the Vellori Group becomes aware of any actions or conditions that do not comply with its Code, the Vellori Group reserves the right to demand corrective action measures. The Vellori Group reserves the right to terminate its agreement with any supplier that fails to comply with the Code.

Employee Training

Vellori Group employees worldwide have access to a dedicated portal explaining the Group’s commitments in detail, including measures to combat slavery and human trafficking.

Furthermore, the Vellori Group's ethical charter clearly states that it is company policy to respect human rights across all of its supply chains. This charter has been translated into nine different languages and distributed throughout the Vellori Group.

The Vellori Group also conducts supplier audits to ensure that these fair labor principles are effectively enforced.

International Commitments

The Vellori Group and its employees strive to comply with the laws and regulations of all countries in which they operate and conduct business in accordance with universal principles established by international agreements and norms.

In particular, the Vellori Group adheres to:

  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

  • The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which is based on various legislative instruments such as national and EU laws, international conventions of the Council of Europe, United Nations (UN) guidelines, and International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.

  • The UN Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

The Vellori Group will continue to evolve and adapt its policies and procedures in a constantly changing world to reflect its unwavering commitment to ethical business principles.