Vendor Conduct

Code of Vendor Conduct
Updated February 2010

Leading Lady is committed to conducting business in accordance with a high standard of business ethics and in compliance with all applicable laws. Leading Lady expects its vendors to do the same. While Leading Lady recognizes that different cultural, legal and ethical systems exist in the countries in which our products are manufactured, we do require that all of our products be produced in facilities that meet specific criteria.

Leading Lady’s Code of Vendor Conduct (COVC) establishes the legal, social and environmental requirements that all manufacturers and factories must meet in order to do business with our company.

Our code is designed to ensure that garment workers are paid fairly, work a reasonable number of hours and do their work in a safe, healthy environment. It is based on conventions established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and aligned with the policies of Social Accountability International (SAI) and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI).

Our COVC specifically states our expectations for compliance with four main principles: laws, environment, labor and working conditions. While we do our best to monitor factory compliance with our code together with applicable laws, our code states that factories must abide by all applicable laws and regulations. 

Compliance with Applicable Laws and Regulations

Vendors and the factories in which the merchandise they sell us is manufactured must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, all environmental laws and regulations, and all laws, regulations and internationally adopted restrictions concerning bribery and corruption.

Health and Safety

Vendors must provide their workers with a safe and healthy workplace and safe working conditions.

Child Labor

Vendors must not use child labor. The term "child" will be governed by the national law of the country in which the production is being conducted, including laws defining the age for completing compulsory education. If the laws of that country do not provide a definition or if the definition includes individuals below the age of 14, we define a "child" as anyone below 14 years of age.

Forced Labor

Vendors must not use forced labor, whether in the form of prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or otherwise.

Wages and Benefits

Vendors must abide by all applicable laws relating to wages and benefits, and they must pay the legally prescribed minimum wage or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher.

Working Hours

Vendors must not require their employees, on a regularly-scheduled basis, to work in excess of 60 hours per week (or fewer hours if prescribed by applicable laws and regulations). All overtime must be voluntary and must be fully compensated in accordance with the requirements of local law, and except in extraordinary circumstances, employees must be entitled to at least one day of rest in every seven-day period.

Harassment or Abuse

Vendors must respect the rights and dignity of their employees. We will not tolerate human rights abuses, including physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse of workers.

Discrimination

Workers must be employed, retained and compensated based on their ability to perform their jobs, and must not be discriminated against on the basis of gender; race; color; national origin; religious, ethnic or cultural beliefs; age or any other prohibited basis.

Freedom of Association

Vendors must respect the rights of their workers to choose (or choose not) to freely associate and to bargain collectively where such rights are recognized by law.

Environment

Vendors are strongly encouraged to share our commitment to environmentally friendly business practices such as reusing, reducing and recycling waste.

Subcontractors

Vendors must ensure that all subcontractors and any other third parties they use in the production or distribution of goods offered for sale in our stores comply with the principles described in this Code of Vendor Conduct.

Monitoring and Compliance

Leading Lady or its designated third-party auditor or agent shall have the right to monitor and assess compliance with these principles. A violation of this Code of Vendor Conduct may result in required corrective action, cancellation of purchase order(s) and/or termination of the business relationship.