Background and purpose
Deaconess Foundation (Helsingin Diakonissalaitoksen säätiö sr) is a not-for profit foundation providing various social and educational services both on its own and through its subsidiaries. Social responsibility and adhering to our values and our Code of Conduct form the basis for all the work of Deaconess Foundation. All suppliers, partners and associates (“Suppliers”) of Deaconess Foundation and its subsidiaries are obliged to follow the same or equivalent guidelines of ethically sustainable conduct. The Suppliers are also obliged to require the same high standards from their own suppliers and subcontractors and to acknowledge and permit that Deaconess Foundation may audit the supplier itself or any of its affiliated suppliers and subcontractors. The Procurement Department of Deaconess Foundation will respond to any further inquiries.
Abiding by laws and regulations
The Suppliers shall follow all laws and regulations which are in effect in the given location where the supplier is conducting its business. The Suppliers shall pay their taxes, duties and other fees according to local and EU/ETA legislation, and they shall provide their financial records and reports in a transparent and legitimite manner. If local legislation, regulations or general culture differ from this Code of Conduct, the stricter set of terms is to be followed.
Fair business principles
In addition to legislation and regulations, the Suppliers are obliged to act fairly, responsibly and according to good business principles. The Suppliers shall not engage in illegal or unethical business, bargaining or management.
Bribes, kickbacks and other forms of illegal inducements shall under no circumstances be offered to any Deaconess Foundation employees, any officials, any customers nor any other stakeholders. It is forbidden to give or receive gifts or favors which exceed common hospitality and could be considered unreasonable.
Human rights
The Suppliers shall respect and promote internationally recognized universal human rights through their activity. The Suppliers are obliged to guarantee they are not complicit to any infringements on human rights.
The Suppliers must treat their employees and subcontractor’s employees, and customers with respect and dignity. It is forbidden to take part in:
- any forms of discrimination, which is based on any bias or prejudice, such as race, color of
skin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, state of health, family relations,
religion or anything of kind; and - any threats of violence, physical punishment, physical or verbal violations or other unlawful
harassment.
Labour rights
The Suppliers must acknowledge their employees’ freedom of association and their right to choose their own representatives. The Suppliers must acknowledge their employees’ right to take collective action.
Prohibiting involuntary labour. The Suppliers are forbidden to use forced labour at any levels of their business. The employees have the right to end their contracts in accordance to local labour legislature or after the reasonable notice stated in their contract of employment. The employees cannot be forced to give in payments
or their personal identification documents to the employer.
Terms of employment. The employees of the Suppliers understand the terms of their employment. The wage and terms of employment are fair and reasonable, and they follow at least the local legislature or the practices of the trade, of which the stricter set of terms is applied. Working hours are established according to national legislature. The employees must have at least one rest day in seven consecutive working days.
Prohibiting child labour. The Suppliers are forbidden under any circumstances to employ children, who are under the minimum age of legal employment. If this age limit is not defined, the minimum age of employment is the age in which compulsory education has been completed. Children who have passed the age of compulsory education cannot be employed to dangerous jobs or other jobs which might be harmful to the development of a child.
Working conditions. The Suppliers must offer their employees with safe and healthy working conditions according to all legislature and regulations. The employees are informed on occupational health and safety and they are trained and equipped accordingly. The Suppliers are obliged to follow any safety regulations defined in the terms of contract. The Suppliers must provide their employees with drinking water, clean sanitation facilities, reasonable ventilation, emergency exits, lighting, first-aid
kits and other relevant first-aid resources.
Prohibiting substance abuse at the workplace. The employees of neither Deaconess Foundation nor its Suppliers are allowed to work while intoxicated. The Suppliers are obliged to have measures in place for the prevention of substance abuse.
When working in the projects and/or on the premises of Deaconess Foundation, the employees of the Suppliers must comply to potential substance abuse tests, when such are allowed according to national or local legislation.
Environmental sustainability
Deaconess Foundation is committed to identifying and reducing potentially harmful environmental effects of its activities. The Suppliers have a central role in promoting environmental sustainability in their and the foundations’ activities. The Suppliers are expected to take initiative in promoting environmental sustainability. At the very minimum, the Suppliers must follow the environmental legislation and regulations that are in place in the country of where the business is conducted.