Aston Villa Football Club (the "Club") has a supplier Code of Conduct which prohibits human rights abuses in our supply chain. Practices such as human trafficking, physical abuse of workers, restricting workers' freedom of movement, confiscation of passports and worker documentation, unsafe work environments, failure to pay adequate wages, excessive and/or forced overtime, illegal child labour, and many other aspects of worker welfare are addressed by the Code. Our suppliers agree to follow the Code and to ensure that their suppliers also comply. From time to time, we may acknowledge and accept a supplier's code as equivalent to our Code.
To evaluate compliance, we may arrange for the audit of facilities of selected suppliers, Audits may also be performed as part of the procurement process. While we may retain the right to conduct unannounced audits, as a practical matter, some minimum amount of notice is given to comply with security concerns and to allow the supplier to collect records that would be required for any such audit.
If we discover a violation of our Code of Conduct, we respond in a manner commensurate with the nature and extent of the violation. "Critical violations" are considered serious enough to require immediate and decisive remedial action and may result in the termination of the business relationship. For less serious violations, we will allow the supplier a reasonable time to develop and implement a plan for remediation. In those instances we will conduct follow-up audits to monitor progress.
In general, we prefer working with the supplier to correct violations rather than immediately terminating the relationship. Termination is unlikely to correct the underlying issue and may cause further hardship to workers and their families who depend upon the employment. However, if the supplier fails to make satisfactory progress toward improvement, we will cease our business relationship with that supplier.
Those who manage supplier relationships will be provided with appropriate training. This training covers the Code of Conduct and its importance to our business and to the workers who may be affected. We encourage anyone who is aware of violations of the law or our Code to notify their Manager (if an employee) or the Club's Legal Department.
