Time Warner Ethical Sourcing Guidelines
The Time Warner Ethical Sourcing Guidelines below were adopted by the Board of Directors on February 23, 2007. Implementation of the Guidelines will be phased in over time, and will vary across Time Warner business units.
The Time Warner Ethical Sourcing Guidelines ("Guidelines") reflect the commitment of Time Warner Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies ("Time Warner") to conduct business according to standards of integrity and ethics. It is important that all of our Vendors conduct business in compliance with local laws and regulations and industry standards. For the purposes of these Guidelines, "Vendor" is synonymous with terms that may include but are not limited to supplier, factory, licensee, site, facility, contractor and sub-contractor. Major Time Warner subsidiaries include Home Box Office, Inc., Time Inc., Turner Broadcasting System Inc., and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) Core Labor Conventions, as established by the tripartite United Nations affiliated agency, have served as the foundation upon which much of these Guidelines are based.
EMPLOYMENT
1. Non-Discrimination
Time Warner expects that Vendor will not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training and employment practices, including compensation, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability or any other category protected by law that does not affect an individual's ability to do the job.
2. Child Labor
Time Warner expects that Vendor will not employ any person under the age of 15 (or 14 where local law allows) or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture where such age is higher than 15. Workers under 18 years of age should not perform work likely to jeopardize the health or safety of young persons. All vendors should also adhere to legitimate workplace apprenticeship programs and comply with all laws and regulations governing child labor and apprenticeship programs. The employment of child actors may be subject to separate guidelines.
3. Involuntary Labor
Time Warner expects that Vendor will not use any forced or involuntary labor, whether prison, bonded, indentured or otherwise. Vendor will not require employees to relinquish any personal identification, including but not limited to passports, identification cards or work permits, as a condition of employment.
4. Coercion and Harassment
Time Warner expects that Vendor will treat each employee with dignity and respect, and will not use corporal punishment, threats of violence or other forms of physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.
5. Association
Time Warner expects that Vendor will allow freedom of association when allowed by local law, and in all cases respect the right of employees to communicate openly and directly with management and will not intimidate, harass or reprimand employees for doing so.
6. Working Hours and Compensation
Time Warner expects that Vendor will comply with all wage and hour laws as mandated by applicable country law or industry standard. Time Warner also expects that employees will not routinely work in excess of sixty hours per week and employees will be provided with a minimum of one rest day in every seven-day week.
7. Statutory Social Security and Welfare Benefits
Time Warner expects that Vendor will contribute to all statutory social security and welfare funds to which employers and/or employees are required by applicable laws to contribute, including medical insurance, industrial injury insurance, pension, housing and unemployment funds, as well as contribute to these funds on behalf of all employees in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations.
8. Employment Records
Time Warner expects that Vendor will retain one year of complete and accurate records and documentation, including employment contracts, residence and work permits (if applicable), proof of age documentation, maternity leave records, industrial injury reports, and work time and pay records, relating to employees in manufacturing and operations positions necessary to demonstrate compliance with these Guidelines other than information and records that applicable law requires Vendor to retain for a shorter period of time.
HEALTH & SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT
9. Health and Safety
Time Warner expects that Vendor will provide employees with a safe and healthy workplace in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, ensuring at a minimum, occupational safety, machine guarding, emergency preparedness, industrial hygiene, reasonable access to potable water and sanitary facilities, fire safety, and adequate lighting and ventilation. Any Vendor that is a manufacturer will also ensure that the same standards of health and safety are applied in any housing or canteen facilities that it provides for employees.
10. Environment
Time Warner expects that Vendor will comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and ensure that all required environmental permits and registrations are obtained, maintained and kept current and that operational and reporting requirements are followed.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & ETHICS
11. Anti-Piracy
Time Warner expects that Vendor will respect all intellectual property rights and will not copy or allow third party access to any Time Warner content without authorization, including but not limited to any form of film, video or digital elements containing audio/visual content, except as necessary to perform obligations under Vendor's agreement with Time Warner.
12. Business Ethics
Time Warner expects Vendors to implement effective ethics and compliance programs. For a sample policy, see the Time Warner Inc. Corporate Standards of Business Conduct.
IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE
These Guidelines highlight Time Warner's expectations of the manner in which its Vendors will conduct themselves in their business relationships with Time Warner. Time Warner recognizes that achieving the standards established in these Guidelines will be a dynamic rather than a static process and encourages Vendors continually to improve their workplace conditions.
Time Warner expects that its Vendors will establish and maintain appropriate management systems, the scope of which is consistent with the content of these Guidelines, and actively review, monitor and modify their management processes and business operations to ensure that their operations align with the principles set forth in these Guidelines. Time Warner expects that Vendor will work with its own suppliers and subcontractors to ensure that they also strive to meet the principles of these Guidelines or an equivalent set of principles.
It is entirely within Time Warner's discretion whether to continue to use a vendor, subject to contractual obligations. Time Warner reserves the right to take such actions as it deems appropriate, in its discretion, to monitor and promote compliance with these Guidelines. The failure to consistently meet these standards may impact the future ability to do business with Time Warner.