The Smaat Aqua seeks to be a good corporate citizen in all aspects of its operations and activities.
To this end we believe that a socially responsible company should address 3 concerns:
- HOW it makes its profits. Here, it must be concerned about the impacts of the way it does business on its stakeholders, particularly marginalized and disadvantaged.
- WHAT it does with its profits. This covers all corporate giving activities that India has a rich tradition of. Having made profits, a socially responsible company must address the issue of how these must be distributed for the benefit of all its stakeholders (particularly disadvantaged) and in a strategic manner.
- Its influence on public policies. A socially responsible company influences public policies in a manner that benefits both business and society, particularly, those who are disadvantaged.
Smaat Aqua’smodel of a socially responsible company is given below:
At Smaat Aqua we are aware of the importance of understanding, analyzing and evaluating production efficiency; particularly so in a responsible company concerned with offering the best social conditions and optimizing the use of production resources. In short, this concern means referring to a set of moral and conduct rules that guides our professional and individual behavior. Our Vision and Mission reflect the same attitude.
Corporate Governance Policies:
Smaat Aqua has been a pioneer in benchmarking its corporate governance practices with the best in the world. Given below are the company's policies on corporate governance.
- Board composition
- Board meetings
- Board committees
- Code of ethics for principal executive & senior financial officers
- Management review and responsibility
- Shareholders
- Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
The principles cover all areas of the company’s operations and have been developed with reference to the relevant codes of corporate governance and best practice, including the international statements and guidelines such as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals. Taken together, these principles form the backbone of our CSR initiatives. These principles are:
- Employee Wellbeing
- Environmental Quality Enhancement
- Community Development
- Workplace Issues
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Supply Chain Management
- Compliance, Monitoring and Reporting
Employee Wellbeing:
SMAAT AQUA promotes employee well-being as a strategic value and fundamental component in the company’s success.
SMAAT AQUA Group adheres to the following core elements to promote employee wellbeing:
a. Discrimination
Principle:
The Company will provide equal employment opportunities and maintain equality of opportunities during the course of employment.
Explanation:
When engaging personnel, the Company will not discriminate between candidates on grounds of caste, creed, religion, gender, age, disability, ethnic background, membership of any legal associations/organisations, marital status & sexual orientation, HIV status or any other health related concern. Further, there will be no discrimination on the above grounds during the period of employment.
b. Employment freely chosen
Principle:
The Company will not engage Forced or Bonded Labour or any form of involuntary labour, paid or unpaid.
Explanation:
In compliance to the above principle, the Company will not indulge in any practices which are exploitative and/or coercive.
c. Freedom of Association
Principle:
The Company will respect the right of its employees to form or join associations which represent their interest.
Explanation:
The Company will uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
d. Employment Relationship
Principle:
The Company will clearly define and communicate in writing the full identity of the employing authority, and the scope and nature of the employment to prospective employees working for or on behalf of the Company.
Explanation:
The Company will clearly define and communicate in writing full particulars of the employing authority,andthe scope and nature of the employment to prospective employees working for or on behalf of the Company. This will include:
a) Name and identity of the employer
b) Scope and nature of the employment
c) Wages and benefits
d) Applicable leave provisions including holidays
e) Rules and regulations of the employer’s Company
Any changes to the above will be communicated by the concerned employer to the employee in writing and shall be explained to them in a language that they understand.
e. Employees’ Welfare Measures
Principle:
The Company will provide facilities for the welfare of its employees and their families.
Explanation:
The Company will, in consultation with employees, provide facilities for their welfare and their families.
A well-educated and skilled workforce is one of the most important factors in ensuring national and corporate competitiveness in an information-based global economy. More generally, there is clear evidence that investments in education, especially girls’ education, can lead to better healthcare and nutrition, declining birth rates, poverty reduction and improved economic performance at both the family level and beyond. Nearly 40% of the world’s population is below the age of 20. These young people are not only the key to more stable and prosperous societies and economies, but for many companies they are also the employees, customers and leaders of the future. In short, SMAAT AQUA’s investment in education makes sound business sense, especially over the longer-term.
SMAAT AQUA will support the goals of increased access to education, improved quality and relevance of education in a number of ways by taking care of the fees of all girl children of its employees till they complete their graduation. By do so SMAAT AQUA have consciously taken a decision to target and move beyond Millennium Development Goals and in particular Goal 2, Achieve Universal Primary Education, which talks about ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
f. Harassment, Abuse and Inhumane Treatment
Principle:
The Company will not tolerate any form of harassment, abuse or inhumane treatment to any of its employees by officials of the Company or by co-workers. The Company will not place any of its employees at risk of any harassment, abuse and inhumane treatment in the discharge of their official duties. The Company will take full responsibility to ensure that none of its representatives harass abuse or treat inhumanely any third party.
Explanation:
The Company will put in place mechanism(s) to demonstrate that no harassment, abuse or inhumane treatment takes place at the workplace. It will also have a mechanism in place to enable employees to report instances of harassment, abuse or inhumane treatment. It will include:
a) Harassment and abuse
i) Physical abuse and harassment
ii) Psychological / mental harassment
iii) Any form of verbal abuse and harassment
iv) Sexual harassment
b) Inhumane treatment
i) Infringement of right to celebrate a festival and enjoy other cultural rights
ii) Any act by the Company that prevents employees from participation in important events, functions, rituals related to marriage, death and any other important functions related to employee’s immediate family.
Environmental Quality Enhancement
It is in the interest of most companies and industry sectors to be part of the world’s ongoing efforts to ensure environmental sustainability. At SMAAT AQUA we rely on natural resources and also have a major impact on the environment, due to the nature of our production activities and the products that we produce. Hence, we believe in synergizing business interests with environmental accountability. All factories of SMAAT AQUA Group follow strict environment management systems. Furthering its drive towards protecting the environment and reducing pollution, the Company has in place the following guidelines:
- Set and periodically review sound environmental objectives and targets for each of the factory under the SMAAT AQUA Group
- Install, maintain and operate facilities to comply with all applicable environmental laws and other regulations pertaining to each of the Unit
- Conserve natural resources and energy by through consistently reducing consumption and wastage
- Adopting preventive strategies to reduce the generation of effluents, waste & air emissions
- Maximizing the recycling of inevitable wastes
- Encouraging suppliers & buyers to become environmentally responsible
- Increasing the green cover
- Develop an ‘environmental conscious approach’ amongst all employees
Community development
Principle:
The organization will engage with communities to empower and encourage its people to improve their quality of life, where possible, in areas such as, health and hygiene, education, and skill development, etc.
Explanation:
The Company will take measures in the following:
a) Health and hygiene:
i) Access to sanitation facilities
ii) Waste Management in the immediate vicinity
iii) Health and sanitation awareness
iv) Access to primary medical facilities
b) Education:
i) Providing educational facilities/services to children including those of employees and others.
c) Skill development:
i) providing opportunities and facilitating programmes for skill, employability and capacity enhancement, wherever possible; and
ii) providing opportunities for engaging local people in the supply chain, wherever possible.
Note:
For the purposes of company’s CSR following definitions of the “community” and “community impact” applies:
Community
• Local groups with whom the company has direct contact in the course of its operations.
• Regional or broader geographic communities which may be indirectly, but critically impacted by the company’s activities. Such groups might be those along transportation routes, downstream of operations, indigenous tribes, etc.
• Groups identified by a common interest such as the environment (e.g. a river) or the economy (e.g. available employment) which are affected at the community level. Often these groups are self-identified and perceive themselves as impacted.
Community Impact
A positive or negative change at the community level directly attributed to the activities undertaken by the company.
Workplace Issues
a. Child Labour
Principle:
The Company will not engage services of a child, paid or unpaid.
Explanation:
No persons below the age of 15 years shall be directly or indirectly engaged or employed by the company.
b. Health and Safety at the Workplace
Principle:
The Company will provide an environment that is safe, hygienic and humane.
Explanation:
The Company will make provisions for the following:
a) Safety
i) Premises including emergency exits,
ii) Fire,
iii) Machinery,
iv) Toxicity,
v) Electrical,
vi) Explosion, and
vii) Radiation.
b) Health and hygiene
a) Segregated and convenient access to sanitation facilities including for persons with disabilities;
b) Clean air;
c) Potable water;
d) Temperature;
e) Ventilation;
f) Lighting;
g) Work station ergonomics;
h) Noise;
i) Eating place;
j) Washing area; and
k) First aid facilities.
c) A Humane Workplace
Principle:
A humane workplace is characterised by recognition of the fundamental human rights and respect for the dignity for all.
Explanation:
This will include provisions for;
a) Child care,
b) Women safety and privacy, and
c) Persons with disabilities.
d) Legality of the Workplace Structure
Principle:
The work place structure will be on land designated for commercial and industrial use.
Explanation:
The work place structure will be on land designated for commercial and industrial use. In case, the population is displaced because of the activities of the Company, it will facilitate their rehabilitation.
e) Wages and Benefits
Principle:
The Company will ensure timely payment of adequate wages to meet basic needs and economic security of the employees and their families
Explanation:
a) The Company will ensure timelypayment of wages to its employees with proof of receipt of payment. Such payment will be accompanied by a wage slip to at least indicate:
i) breakup of wages paid including additional payments like, overtime, advances, allowances etc.
ii) deductions made, including both statutory like provident fund, insurance etc, and others like, loan repayments, half-pay/ leave without pay, etc.
b) The Company will also ensure provision of employment benefits to its employees as per the applicable national legal, statutory and regulatory requirements and those specific to the organization, including;
i) Medical Facilities for employees and their families,
ii) Insurance cover for occupational hazards,
iii) Superannuation benefits,
iv) Maternity/paternity leave benefits, and
v) Employee transfer and relocation benefits.
f. Working Hours
Principle:
The Company will take cognizance of the work-life balance of its employees. No organization will demand or require any of its employees or those working on its behalf to work beyond the statutory maximum.
Explanation:
A Company will ensure compliance to statutory requirements. However, wherever employees work voluntarily beyond normal working hours, they will be suitably compensated.
g. Records for the above will be maintained.
Supply Chain Management
A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm.
Smaat Aqua considers its suppliers as long term business partners and is committed to conducting its business affairs in a fair and ethical manner that promotes open and fair competition in the best interests of the Smaat Aqua and its business partners.
Smaat Aquabelieves that supply management is a key contributor in the development and implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility Programme. And expect all Smaat Aqua suppliers to show excellence in social & environmental responsibility as they conduct their business.
Smaat Aqua objective is to work jointly with suppliers to promote and encourage compliance as per the Smaat Aqua’s Supplier Code of Conduct.
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