Pretty Little Thing was marked down in the Human Rights category because its parent company Boohoo Group was found to be selling clothes made by Pakistani workers who earned 29p per hour, according to a December 2020 article in The Guardian.
It was also marked down for the Leicester garment factories scandal. An independent investigation published in September 2020 by Alison Levitt QC stated:
“Boohoo’s monitoring of its Leicester supply chain has been inadequate for many years.”
The investigation was carried out after claims that workers were paid below minimum wage (as low as £3.50 per hour). The investigation said:
“Allegations of unacceptable working conditions and underpayment of workers are not only well-founded, but are substantially true.”
Application Of Individual Liberty In The Workplace
UK businesses are required to comply with the Human Rights Act (1998) by creating a working environment that is open, fair and safe for their employees to exercise their rights within the workplace. This means:
- Employees should not be prohibited from joining a union if they chose to do so
- Employees should be allowed to take part in internal or external votes or elections freely without pressure
- Employees should not be reprimanded or punished for sharing their opinions or views (providing these are not harmful not maliciously intended)
Businesses may also address these rights within their code of conduct and/or contractual information such as contracts of employment.
Application Of Individual Liberty In Procurement
Procurement professionals can help their organisations in upholding rights of workers through their supplier selection process. This will help to drive good practice through the whole supply chain.
By ensuring potential suppliers have established policies in place to support their own employees, procurement professionals can maintain the integrity and reputation of their business, as well as observe best practice and legal compliance.
Any criteria for the selection process could form part of an organisation’s procurement policy or be documented in a stand-alone document such as a Supplier Code of Conduct.
British Values:
What could PLT procurement specialists have done to ensure the rights of their suppliers workers?
