Human Rights Policies
PotashCorp has adopted several key corporate policies on human rights issues.
Rights of the Individual: The Code states that the company is committed to respecting the rule of law, conducting its business with integrity and respecting human dignity and the rights of all individuals. PotashCorp supports and respects the principles of international human rights set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization's fundamental conventions.
Freedom of Association: Consistent with its commitment in its Code to respect the rights of the individual, PotashCorp acknowledges and respects a worker's right to freedom of association.
Child Labor and Forced Labor: The company respects the rights of individuals and does not use child labor or forced labor at any of its operations.
Non-Discrimination: The Code states that PotashCorp is committed to fairness in the workplace and will respect the rights, culture and dignity of all individuals. It will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment directed at any individual or group. The Respect in the Workplace policy commits the company to provide a work environment free of unlawful discrimination, including harassment. It forbids any unwelcome conduct that is based on an individual's race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation or any other protected status. The policy covers actions by any employee, supervisor, officer, director, vendor, customer or agent of PotashCorp.
Indigenous Peoples: Currently, PotashCorp has no specific policy on indigenous relations. It does not mine on land claimed by indigenous peoples and has no contracts that require indigenous hiring or contracting. The company has, however, begun a process of dialogue in Canada with First Nations representatives to build an understanding of mutual needs. It has initiated several new outreach programs to strengthen its profile as an employer of choice for qualified candidates of Aboriginal descent.
Disciplinary Practices: The Code stresses that no retaliation will be taken against any employee for raising any concern, question or complaint in good faith.
Suppliers and Contractors: PotashCorp is increasingly involving its suppliers and vendors in its strategic vision. The quality of these business partners is evaluated on the basis of specific purchasing criteria that require vendors to adhere to certain standards. Human rights issues are taken into consideration when purchasing decisions are made. Furthermore, all key vendors have received information on the availability of the anonymous compliance hotline to report concerns related to human rights or ethical compliance.
Management Responsibility for Human Rights
Operational responsibility for human rights areas is divided among the COO; General Counsel; Senior Vice President, Administration; and Vice President, Internal Audit. All have management responsibility for compliance-related matters.
Management Systems for Human Rights
PotashCorp provides awareness training, monitoring and enforcement to ensure compliance with its human rights commitments. Key elements are:
- Awareness training for employees
- An annual recertification of understanding of and compliance with the company's Code of Conduct
- A whistleblower hotline for employees, suppliers and contractors
- Enforcement procedures
- Monitoring the supply chain
Procedures for Managing Complaints
To manage complaints and appeals, PotashCorp has in place:
- Procedures for employees and suppliers to submit complaints or grievances anonymously
- Committees responsible for hearing, processing and settling disputes related to human rights issues
- Feedback procedures for external stakeholder complaints
- Procedures for monitoring the treatment of employees who file complaints to ensure non-retaliation
- A written protocol for the investigation and handling of complaints
Whistleblower Procedures
The handling of concerns and complaints is an important aspect of business ethics. PotashCorp's Code, Respect in the Workplace policy and other employee and vendor policies provide a process for reporting policy violations.
The Code stresses that no retaliation will be taken against any employee or vendor for raising any concern, question or complaint in good faith.
The ComplianceLine introduced in 2004 provides an even more secure method for voicing grievances anonymously. It addresses the fact that in certain circumstances an employee or vendor may feel uncomfortable making a direct complaint.
There is a toll-free telephone service for employees and a separate telephone number accessible by vendors from anywhere in the world. Both are available 24 hours a day. All concerns are received by trained professionals. Callers are given a follow-up date when a ComplianceLine communication specialist can share any response or feedback the company has made to the reported issue.
The Compliance Committee consisting of the General Counsel, Senior Vice President, Administration and Vice President, Internal Audit reviews and manages investigations into all compliance complaints in accordance with the established protocol. Any complaints alleging financial compliance issues are shared with the Chair of the Board of Directors' audit committee.