NIC UK Group Policy
1. Introduction
NIC UK companies (Marcantonio Foods Ltd, Call Caterlink) shall always respect human rights and operate with due diligence to avoid becoming involved in violations of human rights. We have a particular responsibility for our own operations, but the duty to respect human rights also applies to our relations with business partners, suppliers, customers and others who are influenced by company activities. NIC UK defines human rights as the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the workers’ rights set out in the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (International Labour Organisation (ILO).
This document describes NIC UK guiding principles for handling the human and workers’ rights which we see as having particular relevance for our daily operations. It applies to all wholly owned companies and to joint ventures where adherence to NIC group directives is agreed as part of the ownership contract.
2. Principles for human rights in NIC UK
The principles described below should be regarded as a minimum standard.
2.1 Human dignity and freedom of opinion and expression
All NIC UK companies shall foster a culture of respect and consideration for other people. We value open, fact-based, honest and respectful communication, and will strive to achieve a working environment where employees feel comfortable in expressing their opinion without fear of retaliation. Moreover, we want our employees to feel that their efforts are valued and used in a meaningful way.
2.2 The right of life, liberty and security
Employment in an NIC UK company shall always be based on a voluntary agreement, and the work shall always be carried out without any form of coercion or harassment, either physical or psychological.
All NIC companies shall protect the health and safety of employees, customers and others who are connected to our business by purposefully striving to achieve the vision of zero harm.
2.3 Competence development
NIC UK companies should allow all employees the opportunity to contribute to the company’s value creation and to develop their personal competences over time. All employees should receive regular feed-back on the quality and performance of their work.
2.4 Privacy
NIC companies shall show due respect for the privacy of employees, and adapt a restrictive practice towards any kind of monitoring of or intrusion on employees’ privacy. If the company sees the need to monitor certain operations for security reasons, employees shall always be properly informed in advance. Personal employee or customer information shall be treated with confidentiality and records shall be stored in a way which does not allow unauthorised access.
2.5 Diversity and no discrimination
NIC believes that diversity of experience and perspectives among management and employees increases the quality of company decisions. All NIC companies shall work systematically to promote diversity in the workplace and prevent discrimination based on gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, age or political opinion. The companies should foster a culture where personal differences are respected and appreciated, and promote equal opportunity, particularly in relation to recruitment, compensation and benefits, promotions and training.
2.6 Consultation and employee involvement
Good internal communication and cooperation between management and employees is crucial for the company’s ability to succeed and for the well-being of employees. All NIC companies should establish channels which allow employees to influence decisions that have relevance for themselves and the workplace, for example related to occupational health and safety and workforce reductions. All employees should have the opportunity to become informed about the strategy and progress of the company. The companies shall respect employees’ freedom of association and right to collective bargaining.
2.7 Working terms
All NIC companies should have working terms which allow employees to combine working and family life. All employees, including part time employees and temporary workers, shall have a written working contract. Working hours shall comply with national law and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection, and with negotiated company agreements. Overtime shall not be used without a negotiated agreement or the prior consent of employees. Employees shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7 day period. All full-time employees shall, as a minimum, receive wages and benefits which are sufficient to meet basic needs for food, clothing and housing.
2.8 Child labour
No NIC companies shall employ individuals who are below the normal age for completing compulsory school, or below 15 years of age, whichever is the highest. Young workers, defined as employees who are above the school-leaving age, but below the age of 18, shall not perform hazardous work. Individuals below the school-leaving age may be allowed to work temporarily as part of their education, but should only be allowed to carry out light work.
2.9 Marginalised populations
All NIC companies shall make sure that their operations do not interfere with the right of self-determination of indigenous people, for example related to land areas or other natural resources upon which they are dependent. If an NIC company has business plans which may have an impact on a marginalised population, the company shall establish a dialogue with representatives for the population group in order to find a solution which is satisfactory to both parties.
2.10 Promoting human rights
NIC companies should contribute to increasing the general awareness of human rights in society by communicating their engagement to suppliers, customers and others. More detailed guidelines on how to address human rights in the supply chain are described in Related Group directive 102.
3. Implementation and monitoring requirements
All NIC companies shall take all necessary steps to comply with the principles described above. In particular, NIC expects the companies to:
- Communicate the human rights policy to all managers and trade union representatives
- Include human rights as a topic in the company’s annual risk assessment and identify relevant improvement activities.
- Strengthen the companies’ sourcing and investment procedures in order to better assess and prevent the risk of becoming involved in human rights violations. For more guidance, please see Related Group directive 102.
NIC will monitor compliance with the requirements through internal sustainability reporting. The status of the companies’ human rights activities will be reviewed annually as part of the business areas’ board meetings.
4. Roles and responsibilities
The responsibility for implementing the human rights policy lies with the CEO of each company.
The Corporate Responsibility function at NIC is responsible for updating the policy and for developing relevant support material. This function may also assist the companies in awareness training.
NIC UK Human Rights Policy does not give customers, suppliers, competitors, shareholders or other persons or entities any legal rights beyond those that follow from applicable legal rules.
5. External parties – Raising concerns
Nic Ice Ltd have a Human Rights policy which clearly asserts the principles by which we work. Where any customer, supplier or any other external agency wishes to raise a concern, they can do so freely and without fear of reprisals. Information will be managed sensitively and professionally, with a vision of making improvements wherever necessary.
Concerns regarding the Human Rights of our workers can be raised to our HR Team on hr@nicice.co.uk or by calling 03301 281655 and asking to speak to the HR Department. Our team will aim to respond within 2 working days on receipt of an email or voicemail regarding such matters.