GCAL Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
Policy Statement
GCAL is committed to respecting every individual, be they employee, customer, supplier or the ultimate consumer. GCAL celebrates the diversity of its employees and all others, takes pride in providing fair and equitable treatment to all and strives to be socially and environmentally conscious in all it does. This Corporate Social Responsibility Policy embodies GCAL’s value of ethics and responsibility, which encourages promoting the highest standards of individual behavior, personal accountability and social responsibility as a company and in all our corporate, industry and outside relationships.
This Policy applies to all GCAL employees. Further, it is the responsibility of all employees to understand this Policy and to comply. Failure to comply with this Policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Responsibility
1. Responsible Executive – President and Founder
1.1 Maintain accountability for the substance, implementation and compliance of this Policy; and
1.2 Oversee policy owner activities in the administration of this Policy.
2. Policy Owner – COO and Compliance Officer
2.1 Has operational responsibility for the Policy, procedures, instructions and forms under the direction of the responsible executive. This includes managing all phases of Policy initiation, development, approval, implementation, review and retirement processes.
2.2 Ensures that all departmental employees are aware of this Policy by providing access, assistance, interpretation, application, and communicating the Company’s expectation for compliance.
3. Employee
3.1 Understands that this Policy applies to them and conducts themselves accordingly
Policy
1. Laws and Regulations
1.1 GCAL will adhere to the governing laws and best practices in the US, and countries which it serves.
2. Internal Audits and Assessments, Certifications, Commitments
2.1 GCAL conducts an annual, internal audit and assessment, verified by internal site assessment teams, and in compliance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to ensure compliance with laws and conformance with certifications and commitments.
2.2 GCAL undergoes an annual external, third-party audit and verification assessment conducted by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to maintain its ISO 17025 Forensic Accreditation
2.3 GCAL commits to being a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and commits to being independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices (an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, gold and platinum group metals).
3. Anti-Bribery and Corruption
3.1 GCAL has a zero tolerance policy toward bribery and corruption and does not tolerate corruption in any form, including the bribery of government officials and inducements offered to others. GCAL adheres to anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws in the in the US, and countries which it serves. Each employee is required to annually sign a policy that covers bribery, corruption, ethics, and confidentiality
4. No Retaliation
4.1 GCAL prohibits retaliation against any individual who in good faith files a concern or is involved as a witness or participant in the concern investigation process. Engaging in unlawful retaliation will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination or dismissal from GCAL.
5. Reporting a Concern
5.1 GCAL takes all concerns seriously. Concerns may be raised using the following methods:
GCAL’s ISO Customer Complaint Mechanism:
· Phone: 1 212-869-8985
· Email: iso@gemfacts.com
6. Workforce
6.1 GCAL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its hiring practices.
6.2 GCAL prohibits unlawful discrimination or harassment.
6.3 GCAL provides fair and equitable compensation and benefits that meet or exceed the laws and regulations in the countries in which it operates.
6.4 GCAL supports and respects the fundamental dignity and the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
6.5 GCAL respects the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining as permitted by law.
6.6 GCAL will not restrict an employee’s freedom of movement.
6.7 GCAL will not engage in any form of forced or compulsory labor.
6.8 GCAL prohibits child labor. GCAL only employs those 18 years of age or older.
6.9 GCAL prohibits any form of corporal punishment.
7. Health and Safety
7.1 GCAL will maintain a safe and healthy environment for its employees and visitors, and will strive to continuously improve the company’s culture of safety, health and environmental stewardship.
8. Environment
8.1 GCAL will promote sustainable operational practices whenever possible, seek to reduce waste in its facilities and to abide by environmental safety standards in its global communities.
8.2 GCAL will strive to use its resources efficiently to meet the needs of its employees and customers, while operating in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible and economically sound.
9. Human Rights
GCAL respects human rights by considering all potential and actual impacts in our operations and business relationships. We commit to, and implement, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as appropriate, in our business
9.1 GCAL has a human rights due diligence process to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for adverse human rights impacts that are connected to our business.
9.2. We provide for, or support legitimate processes to enable, the remedy of any adverse human rights impacts that we have caused, contributed to or been linked with.
9.3. GCAL will communicate annually with stakeholders about our human rights due diligence efforts and remedy activities in accordance with RJC COP
9.4 GCAL will communicate our human rights policies to our suppliers to ensure they are living up to the standards we have set, internally.
Angelo Palmieri, VP, Partner
Gem Certification & Assurance Lab, Inc.