Our Vendor Code of Conduct contains a Migrant Employee Addendum that requires any factory with foreign migrant workers to take the actions outlined below during the employment process, ensuring fair and equal treatment for all. Any partner that violates the below requirements risks termination of their relationship with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Also see A&F Co’s Commitment to Responsible Recruitment.
All Vendors/Factories/Mills, and/or their subcontractors, that employ foreign migrant workers are responsible for taking the following steps.
Pre-Departure
Fees/Costs: Workers shall not be responsible for any fees paid to agencies or the factory in exchange for employment, nor for medical examinations (if they are mandatory), nor for inbound or outbound travel costs.
Passport Policy: Each migrant worker shall understand that neither the agency nor factory shall retain a worker’s passport for any reason other than processing work visas. All migrant workers shall be given a secure place to store their personal documents (i.e. passports, working papers).
Employee Contract: If a contract exists between the agency and each migrant worker, it shall include:
- Written in workers’ local language
- Wages (regular, overtime, and holiday)
- Working hours (regular, overtime, and holiday)
- Living conditions to expect
- Benefits and insurance that will be provided by the agency
- Job description and required job skills
- Contract duration
Agency Contract: At a minimum, the contract between the agency and the factory shall include:
- Fees the factory will pay the agency (if any fees apply)
- Wages (regular, overtime, and holiday)
- Working hours (regular, overtime, and holiday)
- Job description and required job skills
- Contract term, including start and end dates
Post-Arrival
Employee Contract: If a contract exists between the agency and each migrant worker, copies shall be readily available at the factory at all times.
Factory Contract: The contract between the factory and worker shall be consistent with (or better than) the contract between the agency and worker. At a minimum, the contract should include the following:
- Written in workers’ local language
- Wages (regular, overtime, and holiday)
- Working hours (regular, overtime, and holiday)
- Living conditions to expect
- Benefits and insurance that will be provided by the agency
- Job description and required job skills
- Contract duration
- Termination policies (including terms for being sent back to the sending country)
Agency Contract: The contract between the agency and the factory shall be readily available at the factory at all times.
Orientation: All migrant workers shall go through an orientation at the factory to review the following points:
- Written in workers’ local language
- Job training
- Health and safety
- Factory policies and rules
- Grievance systems and process
- Termination policies (including terms for being sent back to the sending country)
A&F Co. reserves the right to terminate its relationship with any factory, agent, vendor or other partner, be it contractual, common law, based on a course of dealing or of any other nature, should any of the above-mentioned requirements be violated.