Human rights

We strive to be a force for good and conduct our business with empathy and humility. 

We must take responsibility for our actions and as such, we have an explicit commitment to respecting human rights and operating with high ethical standards, transparency and honesty. We endorse the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy of March 2017. 

 
Human rights governance 

Responsibility for implementing our commitment to our human rights is governed by internal management roles. Givaudan has mandatory policies and procedures in place that apply globally. Overall accountability for ensuring we uphold our human rights commitments lies with our Chief Executive Officer, supported by our Executive Committee. 

Key human rights focus areas

Right to decent workplace, health and wellbeing
We align to the Ethical Trade Initiative’s (ETI) base code principles and respect and adhere to all of these standards including regarding working conditions, occupational health and safety, working hours, wages and rest time. 

Consumer health and safety
Respecting our consumers’ human rights is an essential part of our efforts, especially in relation to product safety and the potential impact on our consumers’ right to health. We commit to ensuring that our products are safe for intended consumer use and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. 

Child labour and forced labour
Our position on child labour, forced labour, compulsory labour and human trafficking is outlined in our Principles of Conduct and in our Human Rights Policy and our position statement on child labour. We do not practice or tolerate any form of child exploitation, and do not provide employment to children before they have completed their compulsory education. This applies to employment within Givaudan, and we expect the same from our partners and suppliers. All forms of forced and compulsory labour are against our principles; we do not practice or tolerate any form of exploitation or forced or compulsory labour. We also publish Givaudan’s information on child labour pursuant to article 964j-l of the Swiss Code of Obligations and the Ordinance promulgated thereunder regarding child labour.

Rights of communities where we operate and source (including right to clean environment)
We respect the human rights of people in communities impacted by our activities and recognise that vulnerable and marginalised groups deserve particular attention. We systematically engage with our communities to better understand their needs. 

Minerals and metals from conflict-affected areas
Our position on conflict minerals and metals is in alignment with various regulations including the Swiss Code of Obligations, EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act. We do not source any minerals, including conflict minerals and metals, directly from mines, smelters or refiners, nor do we import them directly into any of our entities.

Equality and non-discrimination
At Givaudan, we are fully committed to equality and diversity for each and every individual. We believe that a balanced, diverse, and inclusive workforce and environment drive innovation and foster closer connections with our employees, customers, and partners. We focus on equal treatment of women and men, empowering everyone to uphold human rights, achieve equitable economic growth, and promote social development. We ensure equal pay for work of equal value and extend our commitment to our supply chain through various programmes. We respect the right to be free from discrimination and provide equal opportunities for success to individuals from all backgrounds and genders.

Due diligence and stakeholder engagement

We continuously identify human rights impacts and monitor the effectiveness of our measures. As human rights is not an issue we can address alone, we work with governments, non-governmental organisations, employees, suppliers, customers, communities and all other relevant stakeholders. Our Responsible Sourcing Policy strives to ensure that our suppliers adhere to our human rights principles. We are implementing a Group-wide human rights programme, to include human rights assessments to identify and engage with vulnerable or marginalised groups as part of our stakeholder dialogue.