HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENT AND WORKPLACE RIGHTS POLICY
The reputation of The Coca-Cola Company is built on trust and respect. Our employees and those who do business with us around the world know we are committed to earning their trust with a set of values that represent the highest standards of quality, integrity, excellence, compliance with the law and respect for the unique customs and cultures in the communities where we operate.
Our Company has always endeavored to conduct business responsibly and ethically. We respect international human rights principles aimed at promoting and protecting human rights, including the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights
at Work, and we actively participate in the United Nations Global Compact.
Our acknowledgment of these international principles is consistent with our dedication to enriching the workplace, preserving the environment, strengthening the communities where we operate and engaging with our stakeholders to pursue progress toward these goals.
In our workplaces and the communities in which we operate, we believe that a serious commitment to human rights is fundamental to the way we conduct our business. We treat our employees with dignity, fairness and respect, and we are guided by our shared values of integrity, collaboration and accountability.
Our commitment is formalized and manifested through various policies including our Workplace Rights Policy, our Code of Business Conduct and our environmental governance and management systems. While these policies apply to The Coca-Cola Company and all of the entities that it owns or in which it holds a majority interest, the Company is committed to working with and encouraging our independent bottling partners to uphold the values and practices that these policies drive.
The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners jointly understand that the true measure of a well-managed business is not just weather it is financially successful, but how it achieves that success. As our system does business around the world touching so many different and distinct local cultures, we know that it’s not enough to be profitable, we must also be responsible. This is best achieved in Coca-Cola’s unique business system when the Company and bottlers work together toward our shared goals.
We have expressed these shared goals in a global framework for good corporate citizenship and local accountability called Citizenship @ Coca-Cola. The framework consists of a commitment to embrace a shared set of principles across our global system and is designed to measure and drive improvement in four areas of operation: workplace, marketplace, community and environment. We expect the individual companies that belong to our system to accept the accountability to live up to this commitment and apply these principles to every facet of their local operations.
Through our Supplier Guiding Principles Program, we work with our direct suppliers to ensure that they uphold laws and regulations in the workplace and conduct their business ethically and responsibly.
WORKPLACE RIGHTS POLICY
We value the relationship we have with our employees. The success of our business depends on every employee in our global enterprise. We are committed to fostering open and inclusive workplaces that are based on recognized workplace human rights, where all employees are valued and inspired to be the best they can be.
The Coca-Cola Company's Workplace Rights Policy is guided by international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the United Nations Global Compact.
The Workplace Rights Policy applies to The Coca-Cola Company and all of the entities that it owns or in which it holds a majority interest. The Company is committed to working with and encouraging our independent bottling partners to uphold the principles in this Policy and to adopt similar policies within their businesses.
The Policy includes the following components:
- Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
- Forced Labor
- Child Labor
- Discrimination
- Work Hours and Wages
- Safe and Healthy Workplace
- Workplace Security
- Community and Stakeholder Engagement
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
The Company respects our employees’ right to join, form or not to join a labor union without fear of reprisal, intimidation or harassment. Where employees are represented by a legally recognized union, we are committed to establishing a constructive dialogue with their freely chosen representatives. The Company is committed to bargaining in good faith with such representatives.
Forced Labor
The Company prohibits the use of all forms of forced labor, including prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor, military labor or slave labor.
Child Labor
The Company adheres to minimum age provisions of applicable laws and regulations. The Company prohibits the hiring of individuals that are under 18 years of age for positions in which hazardous work is required. The Company’s prohibition of child labor is consistent with International Labor Organization standards.
Discrimination
The Company values all employees and the contributions they make and has a long-standing commitment to equal opportunity and intolerance of discrimination. We are dedicated to maintaining workplaces that are free from discrimination or physical or verbal harassment on the basis of race, sex, color, national or social origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, political opinion or any other status protected by applicable law. The basis for recruitment, hiring, placement, training, compensation and advancement at the Company is qualifications, performance, skills and experience.
Work Hours and Wages
The Company compensates employees competitively relative to the industry and local labor market. We operate in full compliance with applicable wage, work hours, overtime and benefits laws. We offer employees opportunities to develop their skills and capabilities and provide advancement opportunities where possible.
Safe and Healthy Workplace
The Company provides a safe and healthy workplace. We are dedicated to maintaining a productive workplace by minimizing the risk of accidents, injury and exposure to health risks.
Workplace Security
The Company is committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from violence, harassment, intimidation and other unsafe or disruptive conditions due to internal and external threats. Security safeguards for employees are provided as needed and will be maintained with respect for employee privacy and dignity.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
The Company recognizes its impact on the communities in which it operates. We are committed to engaging with stakeholders in those communities to ensure that we are listening to, learning from and taking into account their views as we conduct our business. Where appropriate, we are committed to engaging in dialogue with stakeholders on workplace rights issues related to our business and within our sphere of influence. We believe that local issues are most appropriately addressed at the local level. We are also committed to creating economic opportunity and fostering goodwill in the communities in which we operate through locally relevant initiatives.
Guidance and Reporting for Employees
The Coca-Cola Company creates workplaces in which open and honest communications among all employees are valued and respected. Coca-Cola is committed to following all applicable labor and employment laws wherever we operate.
If you believe that a conflict arises between the language of the policy and the laws, customs and practices of the place where you work, if you have questions about this policy or if you would like to report a potential violation of this policy, you should raise those questions and concerns through existing processes, which make every effort to maintain confidentiality. You may ask questions or report potential violations to local Management, Human Resources, Legal Department or Strategic Security. Employees can also report suspected violations through the EthicsLine secured internet website at www.KOethics.com or by calling the appropriate toll-free number for your location, which can be found on the www.KOethics.com website. No reprisal or retaliatory action will be taken against any employee for raising concerns under this policy. The Company is committed to investigating, addressing and responding to the concerns of employees and to taking appropriate corrective action in response to any violation.
For Individuals in the European Union: Please note that Ethics Line phone or web services only allow you to report financial, accounting and auditing matters. Should you wish to report issues under the Workplace Rights Policy, such reports should be made directly to local Management, Human Resources or Legal Department.
The Company reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. Nothing in this policy says or implies that a contract exists between the Company and its employees or that participation in this program is a guarantee of continued employment with The Coca-Cola Company.