CODE OF CONDUCT
We at Little Yellow Bird hold ourselves and our suppliers to high standards. We work to create fair, inclusive, and ethical work environments across our supply chain. For us, the legal requirements over labour and sustainability are the bare minimum. We want to excel, to push for change, to be better at every stage of production. That said, we know we are by no means perfect. We acknowledge there is always more to be done. There are limitations and conventions that we have to work within. And we don’t expect to barge in and upheave how each farmer or factory looks after its products and its people. But we hope that together, we can collaborate to create quality garments that are good for the planet, loved by our community, and fair for all our workers around the world.
Legal Compliance
Suppliers working with Little Yellow Bird must fully comply with the laws and industry standards of the country in which they operate.
Free Choice of Employment
Forced, bonded, or involuntary labour is strictly forbidden. Workers should be free to leave employment after providing reasonable notice.
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
Employees of the supplier should have the right to form, join and organise trade union(s) of their own choosing, and collectively bargain on their behalf.
Prohibition of Child Labour
The use of child labour is strictly forbidden. Suppliers must only employ people who are 18 years or over.
Non-discrimination
Candidates and employees will not be discriminated against as a result of their ethnicity, race, gender, age, class, sexuality, nationality, religion, political persuasion or as a result of a disability. Fair and equal treatment must be provided to all staff.
Health and Safety
A safe and healthy working environment is to be provided for all employees. Adequate steps are to be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health occurring in the workplace. Staff must receive regular health and safety training.
Fair Wages
We believe that legal wages should be the floor not the ceiling. Wages and benefits given to staff must exceed the local minimum wage. Minimum wages in our supplier areas are:
We pay above the minimum wage in all areas and ensure that both men and women are paid equally for equal work. As a guide we expect a fair wage for a skilled tailor to be between 16400-22500 INR per month and expect our factories to be either paying or actively making steps to reach this pay bracket. For our New Zealand staff we pay living wage which is $23.65. Regular wage reviews are conducted and we request time sheets and payslips as part of our regular auditing processes.
Working Hours
Working hours must be in line with national and local laws and not be excessive. This includes overtime hours. Regardless of any legal limit, working hours must not exceed 50 hours in any given week.
Treatment of Employees
All employees have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Physical abuse, verbal abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated.
Environmental Protection
The supplier must follow all local environmental laws and regulations and work to minimise the environmental impact of producing clothing for Little Yellow Bird.
Subcontracting
Subcontracting is strictly prohibited. Little Yellow Bird products must not be manufactured by sub-contractors.
Traceability
Little Yellow Bird products must be fully traceable. For cotton we use exclusively organic cotton fibres. We are committed to using 90%+ cotton yarns from Chetna and Pratima who we visit regularly. For Merino we use ZQ certified yarns. Suppliers must provide relevant documentation that provides full traceability for Little Yellow Bird garments.
Trims
Elastane and polyester trims must only be used if absolutely necessary for the performance of the garment. Plastic buttons must not be used in any Little Yellow Bird products. Alternatives including metal, coconut or shell buttons are preferred.
Shipping
Shipping via land and sea freight is preferred wherever possible, and our stock management system and ordering cycle must account for this. Air shipping is reserved for time critical orders only.
Packaging
All Little Yellow Bird products must be shipped with minimal packaging. Swing Tags must be made from recycled cotton. No individual poly bags are to be used. One outer poly bag per box is permitted.
Marketing
All products are made and sold as non-gendered. Where previously we had sold products as “women’s” or “men’s” we have moved to “fitted” and “unisex” and work to ensure all copy is non-gendered. Copy both internal and external needs to follow this protocol.
Diversity
Visible diversity in all marketing and campaign materials is to be included as policy. This includes gender, age, size and ethnicity. We are constantly striving to make improvements in this area.
End of Life
All Little Yellow Bird products are designed with an end of life solution. Our products are free to return to us when they have lived their best life to be reincarnated into new garments.
Other
We can extend and/or facilitate interest free loans and advance payments to individual workers and factories where necessary.
