Winemakers chosen for their commitment from the land to the bottle

Les Grappes is committed to interacting with its winegrowers while respecting the company's core principles: cooperation, responsibility, integrity, safety, and long-term development. This Winegrower Code of Conduct is an integral part of Les Grappes' CSR policy. The winegrower commits to complying with these rules in all their activities, and with regard to their own stakeholders and winegrowers in France and around the world concerning:

Working conditions

Health and safety

The environment

Compliance with laws and regulations in the workplace

The winemaker must comply with all local and, at a minimum, international laws and regulations outlined in this Code of Conduct, including in countries where the law is not enforced. The winemaker commits to extending this policy to its own winemakers and subcontractors.

Continuous improvement

The winemaker must incorporate into their operations procedures relating to the environment, occupational health and safety, human rights, and working conditions. The winemaker must maintain these procedures, which include:

the establishment of appropriate procedures, objectives, tools and indicators,
performance evaluation,
monitoring action plans and schedules.

Anti-corruption efforts

The good relationship between Les Grappes and its winegrowers is based on transparency and honesty. Under no circumstances should a winegrower offer any sum of money, gift, loan, or discount to an employee of Les Grappes, except for promotional gifts or presents of reasonable value, and provided that it complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and rules.
Purchasing services on behalf of Les Grappes must not entitle employees or their relatives to any personal discounts or rebates. In the event of an attempted bribery of a winemaker, the individual concerned must immediately alert their supervisor. This constitutes grounds for terminating the contract with the winemaker or for ending any existing agreements.

Money laundering

Every winegrower in Les Grappes commits to respecting all laws and regulations and must in no way be involved in or support any money laundering practice.

Conflicts of interest

Employees of Les Grappes must avoid any conflict of interest with any of the winemakers and must report such situations to their line manager as soon as possible. These situations include those where employees have a direct or indirect personal or family interest in a company doing business with Les Grappes – particularly with VIGNERON des Grappes.

Transparency

The Winegrower must be able to provide the Grapes with accurate and relevant reports regarding compliance with and application of this Code of Conduct. The Winegrower authorizes the Grapes or a third party to verify compliance with this Code through on-site investigations and undertakes to implement corrective measures where necessary.
References: International Labour Organization: http://www.ilo.org United Nations Conventions and Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.un.org Global Compact: http://www.unglobalcompact.org .

HUMAN RIGHTS AND HR POLICY

Prohibition of forced and illegal labor and human trafficking

No form of servile labor, slavery, or other forms of involuntary labor (as defined by the ILO) is tolerated by Les Grappes. The winemakers of Les Grappes must do everything in their power to prevent forced labor in all its forms.

Employees migrating from one country to another are particularly vulnerable to fraud and mistreatment, which can jeopardize their ability to leave the company and return home. To safeguard the employee's freedom, the winemaker must not, under any circumstances, retain the employee's documents as a condition of employment.
Recruitment procedures for employees must not be subject to abusive contracts.
The original contract of the migrant and temporary worker and the contract they receive for working on the company premises must be compatible, understandable, and therefore in the employee's language. They must precisely describe the working conditions, employment terms, and employee rights, including information on expenses in accordance with the law.
All deductions from wages must comply with the law. No deduction should be made if it is intended to reimburse a fee related to hiring or re-employment.

References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 29 concerning Forced Labour; International Labour Organization Convention No. 105 concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour; International Labour Organization Convention No. 97 concerning Migrant Workers.

Prohibition of child labor

Child labor (defined by the ILO: International Labour Organization) is any form of economic activity carried out by children (under the age of 18) that deprives them of their dignity and impairs their normal physical and psychological development. The winemaker commits to not employing any child under the age of 15, even during their holidays. The winemaker must comply with local legislation when it is more favorable to children. The winemaker must never exploit young workers: providing access to education, excluding night work or workloads equivalent to those of adults. Apprenticeships must not interfere with education.

References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 138 concerning Minimum Age; International Labour Organization Recommendation No. 146 concerning Minimum Age; International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

Discrimination

Employees must be hired, trained, paid, promoted, and dismissed solely based on their ability to perform the work and their skills, excluding any consideration of employment status for the same job. Les Grappes expects the winegrowers to implement measures to progress towards equality in working conditions and to adapt the workstation whenever possible to retain employees facing particular difficulties.
References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 100 concerning Equal Remuneration; International Labour Organization Convention No. 111 concerning Discrimination (Employment and Occupation); International Labour Organization Convention No. 158 concerning Termination of Employment; International Labour Organization Convention No. 159 concerning Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons).

Abuse and harassment

Every employee must be treated with respect and dignity. Under no circumstances should an employee be subjected to inhumane treatment, corporal punishment, harassment, or sexual, psychological, or verbal abuse. Individual rights must be respected in disciplinary procedures, and those who come forward or feel harassed must not be penalized. Les Vignerons is committed to ensuring that every employee has an independent reporting process, free from any fear of reprisal.

Freedom of association and collective bargaining

The winegrower must recognize and respect employees' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The company must ensure that social partners are not discriminated against and that they can communicate freely with members of their association. The company must facilitate employee expression and processes that allow employees to discuss issues and problems related to working conditions, and ensure that employees understand their rights and obligations.

References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise; International Labour Organization Convention No. 98 concerning the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining; International Labour Organization Convention No. 135 and Recommendation No. 143 concerning Workers' Representatives

Salary and benefits

The winemaker must ensure that the wages paid for a week's work, including piecework and other elements, as well as mandatory social security contributions, always comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding wages and working hours. In addition to the wages paid for standard working hours, the winemaker is required to compensate employees for any overtime worked at the legally mandated overtime rate in the country of production. The winemaker must ensure that:

deductions from salary should not be made for disciplinary purposes and the composition of salary and benefits should be clearly and regularly detailed to employees;
The salary should be paid directly to the employee, at regular intervals and at a reasonable frequency, with all payroll details included on their payslip.
mechanisms should be put in place to ensure fair and just wages that are motivating for the employee.

References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 95 concerning the Protection of Wages; International Labour Organization Convention No. 131 and Recommendation No. 135 concerning the Fixing of Minimum Wages.

Workload and working hours

The winemaker must comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding working hours, rest periods, and leave. They must not impose working hours exceeding 60 hours per week, except in emergency situations or exceptional circumstances as defined by international law or local law if it is more favorable to the employee. Employees must have at least one day of rest every seven days. Any additional work must be voluntary and paid at an increased rate. Working hours must be communicated sufficiently in advance to allow for a work-life balance. The winemaker must prevent any discrimination between workers performing the same work, whether they are temporary or permanent employees, with regard to working hours and rest periods.

References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 14/106 concerning weekly rest (Industry) and International Labour Organization Convention No. 1 concerning hours of work (Industry)

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

The winemaker must provide all employees with a safe and healthy working environment, in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, and promote best practices in occupational health, taking into account the prevailing knowledge in their industry and any known specific risks. The winemaker must implement a risk prevention plan for the health and safety of their employees, as well as a review of workplace accidents and illnesses.
References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 155 concerning Occupational Safety and Health; International Labour Organization Recommendation No. 164 concerning Occupational Safety and Health; International Labour Organization Convention No. 187 concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health

Employee protection

No form of servile labor, slavery, or other forms of involuntary labor (as defined by the ILO) is tolerated by Les Grappes. The winegrowers of Les Grappes must do everything in their power to prevent forced labor in all its forms.

Employees migrating from one country to another are particularly vulnerable to fraud and mistreatment, which can jeopardize their ability to leave the company and return home. To safeguard the employee's freedom, the winemaker must not, under any circumstances, retain the employee's documents as a condition of employment.
Recruitment procedures for employees must not be subject to abusive contracts.
The original contract of the migrant and temporary worker and the contract they receive for working on the company premises must be compatible, understandable, and therefore in the employee's language. They must precisely describe the working conditions, employment terms, and employee rights, including information on expenses in accordance with the law.
All deductions from wages must comply with the law. No deduction should be made if it is intended to reimburse a fee related to hiring or re-employment.

References: International Labour Organization Convention No. 29 concerning Forced Labour; International Labour Organization Convention No. 105 concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour; International Labour Organization Convention No. 97 concerning Migrant Workers.

Employee information and training

The winemaker must identify and prevent any physical accidents involving their employees, minimize health risks related to chemical and biological products, and any risks associated with the infrastructure used. Any substance posing a health risk to employees must be identified, labeled, and stored properly. The winemaker must guarantee and maintain workplace hygiene, adequate lighting and ventilation, and ensure that all personnel undergo mandatory medical examinations and tests.

Emergency preparedness and response

The winemaker must ensure that all employees receive regular, appropriate health and safety training in their language. This training must include information on the hazardous substances used: chemicals, toxins, harmful products, etc.

Sanitary facilities

The winemaker must identify and assess any potential emergency situation in the workplace and put in place programs, procedures, and emergency response plans, including fire prevention for example.

ENVIRONMENT

The winemaker acknowledges that environmental responsibility must be considered during product development. The winemaker must ensure that programs are in place to minimize the negative impacts of their activities on the environment and natural resources, while protecting public health and safety. Les Grappes requests that the winemaker implement this policy with their own winemakers and stakeholders. The winemaker must define, implement, and maintain an environmental and social policy.

Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

The winemaker must apply local and national laws, regulations and standards in force in all countries where he operates and applicable to his operations, and must ensure the compliance of his own winemakers and stakeholders.

Waste management

The winegrower must ensure that waste is sorted and managed properly, especially hazardous waste. Waste must be reused or recycled as soon as possible.

Pollution prevention

The winemaker must ensure that any substance posing a risk to the environment is identified, then labeled and stored properly to prevent pollution and adverse environmental impacts. The winemaker must also identify and assess any potential accidents that could pose a risk to the environment.

Resource management

The winegrower monitors his energy and water consumption as much as possible, as well as all other non-renewable natural resources.

Eco-design of products

Les Grappes wants its winemaker to be proactive in implementing alternative manufacturing processes aimed at reducing the harmful impact of products.