Fair Trade Policy

IMS Building Solutions Ltd is committed to supplying Construction Services/Materials that have been safely and ethically manufactured. IMS reserves the right to decline trade with Suppliers that do not demonstrate this commitment.

Application

This Fair Trade Policy defines our minimum standards that all Suppliers must adhere to in order to trade with IMS.

This policy also applies to (not exclusively) sub-contractors, traders, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, designers, licensees, importers, manufacturers or organisers of production that in any way form part of the chain of supply to IMS.

Suppliers are responsible for ensuring all their sub-contractors and suppliers (including labour, materials or goods and services) used in relation to products provided to IMS comply with this Fair Trade Policy.

Methods of production used by Suppliers must not involve exploitation or endanger health and safety of any persons or the environment. IMS regards exploitation of children as especially unacceptable and reserves the right not to trade with Suppliers who are at variance on this issue.

Obeying Legal Requirements

IMS requires all Suppliers to fully obey the laws of the countries in which they function. This includes (but not exclusively) all laws related to employment, safety and the environment and business operations. All standards outlined in IMS’s Fair Trade Policy are expected to be followed in addition to relevant local legislation.

IMS will only do business with Suppliers who comply with the standards below:

Workforce Checks Procedures

IMS check that a job applicant is allowed to work for us in the UK before we employ them.

We can either:

check the applicant’s original documents
check the applicant’s right to work online, if they’ve given you their share code

We do not discriminate against anyone because of where they are from.

Checking the applicant’s original documents

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19) there are temporary changes to the way you can check documents. Read guidance about the adjusted process, including asking for documents digitally, making checks on a video call, and what to do if someone cannot provide any accepted documents.

Ask to see the applicant’s original documents.
Check that the documents are valid with the applicant present.
Make and keep copies of the documents and record the date you made the check.

What to check

We need to check that:

the documents are genuine, original and unchanged and belong to the person who has given them to us.
the dates for the applicant’s right to work in the UK have not expired.
photos are the same across all documents and look like the applicant.
dates of birth are the same across all documents.
the applicant has permission to do the type of work you’re offering (including any limit on the number of hours they can work).
for students you see evidence of their study and vacation times.
if 2 documents give different names, the applicant has supporting documents showing why they are different, such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree.

Follow-up checks

If our employee’s right to work is time-limited, we will need to check their documents again when they are due to expire.

Taking a copy of the documents

When you copy the documents:

make a copy that cannot be changed, for example a photocopy.
make sure the copy is clear enough to read.
for passports, copy any page with the expiry date and applicant’s details (for example nationality, date of birth and photograph) including endorsements, for example a work visa.
for biometric residence permits and residence cards (biometric format), copy both sides.
for all other documents you must make a complete copy.
keep copies during the applicant’s employment and for 2 years after they stop working for us.
record the date the check was made.

Make sure you follow data protection law.

If the job applicant cannot show their documents

We must ask the Home Office to check your employee or potential employee’s immigration employment status if one of the following applies:

you’re reasonably satisfied that they cannot show you their documents because of an outstanding appeal, administrative review or application with the Home Office.
they have an Application Registration Card.
they have a Certificate of Application that is less than 6 months old.
they’re a Commonwealth citizen who’s been living in the UK since before 1988.

Application registration cards and certificates of application must state that the work the employer is offering is permitted. Many of these documents do not allow the person to work.

The Home Office will send you a ‘Positive Verification Notice’ to confirm that the applicant has the right to work. You must keep this document.

Employment

Child Labour

Suppliers shall not use child labour. Due to their vulnerability, IMS believes that children deserve extra protection from exploitation. Children should have the opportunity, where possible, to participate in an education up to the compulsory age limit deemed by local laws. Work should not interfere with a child’s education. IMS supports participation in legitimate apprenticeship or trainee programs to educate and assist students under school-leaving age (e.g. 15-16 year olds) and legitimate casual work where appropriate, providing the work is light in nature, is performed in safe conditions and does not involve exploitation.

Forced/Compulsory Labour

The decision to work must be freely chosen by all workers. Suppliers shall not use compulsory or involuntary labour, slavery or debt bondage. Workers must be genuinely free to terminate their employment at any stage with reasonable notice.

Appropriate Pay and Benefits

The Supplier must set out in writing for its workers clear terms of employment, including wages, benefits and conditions for a regular working week. Workers must be paid at or above the local legal minimum wage for the work performed. The Supplier must not use contracts, trial periods or other arrangements to avoid legal obligations for pay and conditions.

Hours of Work

Ordinary hours of work shall be consistent with local legislation. All overtime must be voluntary and without coercion and should be duly paid in accordance with the agreed conditions of employment and local laws.

Discrimination and Harassment

IMS believes that all people are created in the image of God and must be treated equally and with dignity and respect. Suppliers will not use (either actual or implied) any physical, sexual, emotional forms of harassment, abuse, discipline or intimidation with any of their workers.

Suppliers are to avoid using discriminatory words, actions or behaviour. A worker’s ability to do the job should determine their employment and all associated conditions, rather than discrimination based on non work-related factors, such as race, religion, gender, personal situations or beliefs.

Workers must not be disadvantaged or prevented from forming or joining communities which raise issues relating to mutual protection and dignity in wages and working conditions.

Environment, Health & Safety

Suppliers will provide a clean and safe workplace, including providing plant, equipment and work processes that do not pose a risk to the health and safety of their workers. Staff must also receive adequate training and supervision to ensure their safety.

Of specific concern with regard to worker safety is the provision of adequate emergency facilities such as:

appropriate fire fighting equipment maintained and available on-site,
a sufficient quantity of operating, clearly marked emergency exits which are not locked or obstructed.

Other important safety standards include:

Machinery must have appropriate guarding to ensure safety of workers.
Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be made available to workers at no personal cost.
Suppliers shall provide clean toilets, clean drinking water and, if appropriate, hygienic kitchen facilities to its workers.
Any worker accommodation provided by Suppliers should be adequate for the number of occupants, as well as in a clean and safe condition.

Environmental standards:

IMS requires Suppliers to comply with all applicable local and national environmental laws, and to endeavour to meet relevant international environmental standards.

Business Ethics

IMS values and promotes a high standard of honesty, integrity, respect, fairness and professionalism in their business ethics. We also expect our Suppliers to follow equivalent standards in their operations. Bribes, favours, inappropriate gains or other illegal or improper payments, whether in cash or otherwise, are strictly forbidden, whether or not they are offered with the intention of securing trade with IMS.

Implementation and Monitoring of the Fair Trade Policy

IMS (and its representatives) reserve the right to visit Supplier factories or facilities with or without prior notice, to ensure adherence to this Policy. Breaches of this policy will be registered with the Supplier’s management for investigation and action as appropriate.

If deemed appropriate, action taken by IMS may include ceasing trade with the relevant Supplier.