Mindful Chef's Human Rights Policy
1. Purpose and Commitment
At Mindful Chef, respect for human rights is fundamental to how we do business. As a Certified B Corporation, we believe everyone connected to our operations and value chain should be treated with dignity, fairness and respect, and have access to safe, inclusive and equitable working and living conditions. This policy sets out how we aim to identify, prevent, mitigate and remediate adverse human rights impacts linked to our business.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all individuals or groups who may be affected by our operations or business activities, including:
- Employees, consultants and contractors
- Suppliers and business partners
- Customers and consumers
- Stakeholders
- Workers across our supply chain
- Local communities
- The environment, where linked to human rights impacts
3. Guiding Frameworks
Our approach is informed by internationally recognised standards and UK legislation, including:
- The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
- The International Bill of Human Rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
- The International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
- The UK's Health and Safety regulatory framework
- The Modern Slavery Act 2015
4. Our Human Rights Principles
4.1 Respect for Human Rights
We respect all internationally recognised human rights and seek to avoid causing or contributing to adverse impacts through our own operations or business activities.
We pay particular attention to individuals or groups who may be at heightened risk of vulnerability or marginalisation. We uphold the human rights of all people and expect the same from our suppliers and partners. We do not condone any form of discrimination, forced labour, child labour, or abuse of rights.
4.2 Fair and Safe Working Conditions
We are committed to:
- Providing fair wages and benefits
- Ensuring safe and healthy workplaces
- Promoting wellbeing and work-life balance
- Treating all individuals with dignity and respect
4.3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We are committed to a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation. We promote equal opportunity and foster an inclusive culture where diversity is valued.
4.4 Responsible and Ethical Supply Chains
We are committed to responsible sourcing and:
- Expect suppliers to comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct and any other appropriate policies
- Promote transparency and continuous improvement
- Encourage suppliers to cascade standards through their own supply chains
- Expect suppliers to implement human rights due diligence and comply with our mandatory policies
Failure to meet these expectations may result in termination of the business relationship.
5. Human Rights Due Diligence
5.1 Assessing Human Rights
We have a due diligence and assessment process in place to identify, assess and report transparently on actual and potential human rights risks across operations and business activities and conduct a full assessment every three years. This is based on desk research, supplier and stakeholder engagement, which identifies risks to people (rather than the company), including vulnerable and high-risk groups.
We shall integrate the results and findings of our human rights assessments into internal systems and decision-making processes, including policies, supply chain tendering and practices, and risk management frameworks.
5.2 Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
We will track the effectiveness of our actions through our supply chain with audits and assessments, supplier engagement, tender processes and performance reviews.
We are committed to continuous improvement and regularly review our approach in line with the regulatory framework and evolving best practices.
We recognise that human rights due diligence is a journey of continuous improvement and we will review policies and systems regularly to ensure they remain effective in identifying risks.
5.3 Remediation and Grievance Mechanisms
Where we identify potential negative human rights impacts, we will take appropriate steps to remediate them, based on their severity and likelihood. We will also work with suppliers to prevent or mitigate the most salient human rights risks.
We maintain accessible grievance mechanisms for employees and external stakeholders, through our whistleblowing policy and an anonymous confidential reporting channel called Speak Up. Our ethics committee meets every six months (and will meet on an ad hoc basis if required) to discuss and review all grievances reported and any related ethical or human rights issues.
All concerns shall be investigated promptly and fairly by our ethics committee and retaliation against anyone raising concerns in good faith will not be tolerated.
6. Governance, Accountability and Reporting
This policy is approved by the Leadership team and is embedded across the organisation.
- The Leadership Team provides oversight of human rights strategy and performance
- The Extended Leadership Team is responsible for its implementation
- All employees share responsibility for upholding this policy
We recognise and support the role of human rights defenders and commit to protecting individuals raising concerns.
We are committed to transparency and will provide updates on our human rights progress and due diligence activities within our annual Impact Report, and maintain an annually updated Modern Slavery statement on our website.