Standards for Suppliers
Posted on August 17, 2023
To all IPL, Forza and Kober suppliers
17th August 2023
Dear Supplier
RE: Standards for Suppliers
Asda’s Standards for Suppliers are the cornerstone of our Responsible Sourcing Programme that apply to ALL suppliers.
As part of our continuous improvement journey, we have strengthened our Standards for Suppliers to promote the dignity of workers within our supply chain.
Please see below a couple of key changes we have made:
Remedy – all suppliers must provide workers within our shared supply chains with access to a process to enable remedy. In instances where workers are impacted be that caused:
- directly,
- in-directly
- contributed towards by the Asda business
Suppliers must define the process for remedy, how they will investigate and resolve grievances addressing root cause. Engagement with remedy must be legitimate, accessible, transparent, drive continuous improvement and champion best practice with the rights holder at its core. All must be based on dialogue with rights holders and impacted groups
Risk Assessments – a risk assessment should be undertaken to review any working practices with the potential to cause harm. These should be recorded, communicated, and acted upon. Appropriate allowances should be made to reduce risk for workers. Procedures and safeguards should be implemented to prevent accident or injury including maintenance, monitoring, inspection, training, personal protective equipment, fire safety measures and restrictions on hazardous work for all workers.
Escalatable criteria – new criteria to ensure key breaches of our standards are escalated to Asda within specific timeframes, these include but not limited to:
- Business Critical and Critical non-compliances raised on an ethical audit;
- Suspected or substantiated child labour;
- Suspected or substantiated Modern Slavery, involuntary prison labour.
Please review and familiarise yourself with the Standards for Suppliers here.
As part of these changes, Asda will be hosting supplier drop-in events where you can ask questions and understand more on Asda’s approach.
These new Standards will apply from 60 days from the date of this notification.
We want to work collaboratively with you through the delivery of these changes, so if you have any questions relating to our Standards for Suppliers, please contact: ResponsibleSourcingQueries@asda.co.uk.
Thank you
for and on behalf of International Procurement and Logistics Limited
