Ethical guidelines
Human rights policy
The purpose of the Human Rights Policy is to reaffirm Suominen’s commitment to respecting human rights. The Policy complements our Code of Conduct and related policies. The Human Rights Policy applies globally to all Suominen Group companies. The Policy focuses on human rights topics which are most relevant to our business and operations: Safe and healthy workplace, Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Freedom of association and fair employment practices, Forced labor and child labor and Human rights in our supply chain. The Policy states that Suominen is committed to taking appropriate action to remediate situations where our activities have caused or contributed to an adverse human rights impact.
Suominen respects and supports the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights, such as those described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Suominen is committed to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Global Compact, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Code of Conduct
Our daily operations are guided by Suominen’s Code of Conduct and other related policies that are the cornerstones of our fair and sustainable business practices. The Code sets out Suominen’s expectations for doing business responsibly, ethically, and consistently, according to our values, our policies, and the law.
Among the key issues addressed by the Code of Conduct are fair business practices, financial regulations, human rights, and the environment. The Code has been adopted by Suominen Corporation and its subsidiaries, and it applies to all employees, globally. Our Code of Conduct training is mandatory for all employees, and employees need to retake the course every other year. In our Sustainability Agenda 2020-2025, our target is 100% training coverage of the renewed Code of Conduct within existing employees and new hires. By the end of 2024, 92% of Suominen’s employees had completed Code of Conduct training.
Read more about our Code of Conduct
Supplier Code of Conduct
Requirements for Suominen’s suppliers are described in the Supplier Code of Conduct, which addresses issues such as human rights, wages and working hours, child labor and forced labor, corruption and bribery, and the environment. As stated in our Supplier Code of Conduct, we expect our suppliers and business partners to understand and comply with all applicable laws and regulations and to apply the same social, legal, and ethical standards as Suominen.
Suominen’s Supplier Code of Conduct outlines that suppliers are expected to continuously monitor their compliance with the Code. Suominen may request the supplier to verify its compliance with the Supplier Code through a self-assessment questionnaire, third-party assessment, and/or on-site audit. The supplier shall cooperate with any such requests and audits.
Read our Supplier Code of Conduct
Health & Safety, Environment and Quality policy
The purpose of the policy is to further define Suominen’s commitment to Health & Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) and to establish harmonized HSEQ principles for all Suominen sites. In the HSEQ Policy, Suominen is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors, and others working for us. In line with the policy, we take responsibility for the quality and continuous improvement of our work and our products, and we strive to achieve our goal of zero defects. Climate change is also included in the HSEQ policy, which addresses issues such as climate change migitation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy deployment.
Recruitment Policy
The purpose of the Recruitment Policy is to outline our preferred hiring practices and principles for attracting and selecting internal and external job candidates, promote consistency in our recruiting process across all countries, and define the approval rights related to recruitments at Suominen. All in all, the purpose is to ensure that our recruitment activities are performed in an effective, efficient, fair, and compliant way which promotes our employer brand. The Recruitment Policy was updated in 2024 to further emphasize the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The Recruitment Policy is followed globally by every Suominen Group company, and every employee involved in recruitment.
Gift, Entertainment and Anti-bribery Policy
The purpose of the Gift, Entertainment and Anti-bribery Policy is to further specify the requirements of our Code of Conduct and provide guidance for compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, and to outline what gifts and entertainment are allowed. The Policy serves as a minimum standard, and compliance with it by all Suominen employees is mandatory at all times. Our Gift, Entertainment and Anti-bribery Policy is in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The Anti-Bribery and Corruption e-Learning is mandatory for all white-collar employees.
Speakup Policy
The SpeakUp Policy explains how concerns about suspected misconduct regarding any violation of law or severe violation of the Code of Conduct or any supplementing Group policies can be raised in confidence and without fear of retaliation. It outlines the channels for raising concerns of suspected misconduct and the roles and responsibilities within the Group for handling reports of suspected misconduct. The SpeakUp Policy applies to all Suominen employees and is offered in all Suominen local languages.
The SpeakUp Line is hosted by an independent third party and is available at all times for raising concerns confidentially and in the employees’ own language. The SpeakUp Line enables misconducts and concerns to be reported anonymously.
Purchasing Policy
The purpose of the Purchasing Policy is to describe Suominen’s principles and roles and responsibilities for sourcing and purchasing of goods and services from third-party suppliers. Following generally accepted and consistent purchasing practices and principles ensures that all purchases are made in an ethical manner and align with Suominen’s values and objectives. The Policy applies to all Suominen employees and all sourcing and purchasing at Suominen regardless of the type of goods or services.