A summary of HP Inc.’s supplier’s responsibility information is as follows. Under legal and regulatory compliance, it is the responsibility of the supplier to ensure that all of their business practices and the goods and services they provide to HP Inc. are in full compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements (1). This information is important as a regulation to both the supplier and the business. In environmental performance improvement, suppliers are expected to evaluate the effects of their business and the goods and services they supply to a company (1). In this case, HP Inc. can work on its ecosystem and take measures to mitigate any effects from the suppliers’ side (2). The suppliers also have the obligation to be responsible for sourcing minerals (2). When supplying HP Inc. with components or finished goods, companies need to make sure they are using ethically sourced minerals. Other such information includes labor standards and respect for human rights, and the substance of initial disclosure.
The aspect of HP Inc.’s supplier code of conduct that demonstrates its commitment to ethical business practices and social responsibility includes the following: Suppliers should do business with integrity and caring for the community (1). The Code of Labor insists that all compensation paid to workers must comply with all applicable legal requirements (3). HP Inc. also emphasizes that suppliers must promote health and safety in the workplace. This is in accordance with the health and safety supplier’s code of conduct, which addresses issues including employee exposure to health and safety risks (3). In environmental suppliers’ code of conduct, the suppliers should abide by a strict code of conduct that mandates the reduction of hazardous waste generation (3). This ensures an ethical business practice as it values the community and the effects that it can cause to the community when its effluent are discharged into the environment.
The HP Inc.’s stance on empowering workers, labor and human rights, health and safety, the environment, and accountability is as follows:
Empowering Workers: The company continues to implement legal workplace learning programs on its younger employees, programs that are in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations (1). All student employees are entitled to the required level of assistance and instruction as outlined in the code of conduct for the labor market (3). To ensure that students gain economic independence while contributing to the supply chain, the minimum pay rate for student employees, interns, and apprentices should be at least the same pay rate as other entry-level employees doing equal or equivalent duties in the absence of local regulation.
Labor and Human Rights: The use of slave labor, forced labor, compulsory correctional work, or trafficking in humans is strictly forbidden by the firm. Workers’ right to move around the building without undue interference is guaranteed. Human rights ensure that child labor is not tolerated and that employees are paid in accordance with all local, state, and federal wage and hour rules (3). To fulfill its human rights obligations, the firm ensures that its employees are not subjected to inhuman treatment, that they are free from harassment, discrimination, and other forms of abuse in the workplace, and that they are able to freely organize.
Health and Safety: The form conforms to occupational safety concerns through ensuring reduced or no chemical emissions, burns, and other dangerous leakages that may affect the health and safety of its workers or its entire supply chain (3). Cleanliness, food, accommodation, health and safety communication, less physically demanding labor, enhanced machine protection, and improved work hygiene all feature prominently are maintained among the working group.
The Environment: Before being released or disposed of, wastewater must undergo the necessary characterization, monitoring, control, and treatment (1). It also guarantees a significant reduction in energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions (3). This HP Inc.’s stance has ensured that its products are acceptable in the market because customers tend to support such companies.
Accountability: The corporation makes sure that the top management and representatives are accountable for the monitoring systems and the programs that go along with it (1). In order to avoid potential culpability in the event of a failure, upper-level management must conduct frequent reviews of the management system’s current state (3). This stance has helped HP Inc. in solving internal wrangles and corruption-related issues, hence, losses due to misappropriation are lowered significantly.
HP Inc.’s code of conduct has changed over the past year in the following ways; Adoption of the use of RBA’s Code of Conduct, Corrective action and remediation through quarterly reports, and increases in sustainability scorecard score by three points.
HP Inc. has adopted the use of new and robust RBA’s code of conduct, which outlines the organization’s expectations for its suppliers in the areas of labor, human rights, safety, health, the environment, and ethics (4). HP’s assurance approach comprises both general audits in accordance with HP’s Supplier Code of Conduct and tailored evaluations in certain high-risk regions, such as the employment of foreign migrant labor. This allows the firm to keep tabs on concerns and trends at key suppliers.
Corrective action and remediation through quarterly reports has been changed from the 30-day of receipt of the site audit report done in the last year to 3-mobths reports (4). In this case, the firm examines these strategies and asks for updates on their implementation and resolution of nonconformities every three months (4). To make sure any non-conformances are resolved, they also do follow-up audits. Experts step in to assist in devising a better strategy when development is slow.
Lastly, there has been a change in the sustainability scorecard score by three points as opposed to last year (5). Previously, the firm had implemented Supplier Responsibility Scorecards with 76% of the firm’s production expenditure. As a result of improved supplier follow-up and cooperation, the average score for assembling suppliers rose by three percentage points from 2022 to 2023 (4). However, the average score for commodity suppliers rose by one percentage point.
The areas of HP Inc.’s suppler code of conduct, that help ensure the organization operate as a socially responsible organization are legal responsibility, philanthropy and promoting volunteering, ethical labor practices, and environmental changes. The CSR is accountable for ensuring that companies complies with all laws and rules governing (1). With regards to HP Inc.’s, the laws should include corporate registration, practitioner licensing and good manufacturing procedures (GMP). HP encourages its workers to give back to their communities by providing paid time off for volunteer work (3). HP’s goal is to encourage its workforce to see themselves as agents of social change. Virtual, social, and self-directed learning, in addition to mentoring and coaching, are just some of the options available to HP workers interested in furthering their professional growth.
When it comes to ethical employment practices, HP has a solid reputation for paying its employees competitive compensation (3). The work of each individual, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or any other distinguishing factor, is compensated fairly. To make good on that promise, HP uses market data and other characteristics, such as an employee’s position, tenure, and performance, to determine appropriate salary ranges for all employees.
Finally, CSR’s effects on the environment ensure the safety of locals by decreasing carbon footprints and curbing waste production (3). This is why HP works to preserve the environment’s natural resources by using tools and machines that produce low-carbon waste, such as Carbon Neutral Printing.
In assembling a suppler code of conduct for HP Inc., the following stakeholders’ roles are needed on the team.
Employees. Their role is to ensure they are treated fairly and with respect, hence, they are to document any incidents of harassment, underpayment, or other forms of unfair treatment during the supplier’s code of conduct write-up. It is the efforts of the employees that determine whether or not a company succeeds.
The local community. Their role is to ensure that the forthcoming supplier code of conduct guarantees the firm; the community and the local council cooperate via the enforcement of laws and regulations that affects the community directly. One way to accomplish this goal is to host seminars with the local government as outlined by the United Nations Global Compact (6). To this end, the local government, through the local community within the team, will make sure the suppliers do not do any harm to the area.
Suppliers. Their role is to inform members of the group about their own code of conduct to ensure no bias on their treatment as suppliers. It is important that the company’s code of conduct and the suppliers’ code of conduct be consistent with one another and use the same language to express their respective objectives, values, and essential concepts.
Government. The role of the government as an external stakeholder is to ensure that the supplier code of conduct meets the requirements of various government institutions mandated for overseeing GMP through efficient sourcing of materials through suppliers (6). As such, the government’s personnel on the team will give recommendations on business and human rights for its supplier code of conduct.
Sources
Anne Lawrence. 2022. Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy. Web.
Hewitt Packard. n.d. Supply chain responsibility: Our approach. Web.
Hewitt Packard. 2021. HP Supplier Code of Conduct. Web.
HP Sustainability and Compliance Center. 2023. Overview of HP Supply Chain Responsibility Program. Web.
2022 Proxy Statement. 2022. Web.
Safdie Stephanie. 2022. UNGC: Goals, Principles and Benefits. Web.