Our Code

At the heart of our Social Responsibility program is our Standards of Manufacturing Practices (SMP). The SMP outlines standards supporting our values of ethical, fair treatment of people and sustainable manufacturing practices in the following areas:

• Forced Labor
• Child Labor
• Harassment or Abuse
• Nondiscrimination
• Freedom of Association
• Wages and Benefits
• Hours of Work
• Health and Safety
• Environment
• Ethical Conduct

Monitoring, Training and Capacity Building

Independent factories producing Mountain Hardwear products are monitored regularly with respect to our SMP standards in addition to local labor laws and International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions. Our Specialists conduct regular, unannounced audits of our suppliers to ensure compliance with our SMP. Conducting unannounced allows our staff to see factory conditions as they are on a typical day.

To further these efforts, internal supply chain management staff receives training on our SMP, including how to identify and respond to supply chain risk issues. With all supply chain employees working together, we can have greater influence at our contract facilities to alleviate risks and affect change.

We also encourage suppliers to further develop skills to effectively remediate and enhance overall performance through training and capacity building programs. We do this by partnering with service providers to offer consulting and workshops that teach suppliers techniques to enhance management systems in areas like:

• Human Resources Management
• Communications
• Production Efficiency
• Environmental Management

In addition to working with service providers, we leverage industry partnerships to support and capitalize on resources developed by non-governmental and non-profit organizations. An example of one program in which we participate is Better Work.

Better Work is a unique partnership program between the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The program aims to improve both compliance with labor standards and competitiveness in global supply chains. Better Work involves the development of both global tools and country-level projects, with a focus on scalable and sustainable solutions that build cooperation between governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations and international buyers. Read more.

Multi-Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

We collaborate with other apparel and footwear brands who share our Corporate Responsibility approach and whose products are produced in the same factories as ours. At any given time, a factory could be making shirts for ten different brands, each with its own code of conduct. By sharing audit findings with other brands, we can reduce redundant auditing and focus on finding solutions.

We also participate in industry-wide initiatives and organizations to explore how we can address complex questions around corporate responsibility as an industry.

Outdoor Industry Association

Mountain Hardwear participates in the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)’s Social Responsibility Working Group. This group creates tools to support better working conditions.

American Apparel & Footwear Industry

Mountain Hardwear is a member of the American Apparel & Footwear Association Social Responsibility Committee, through which we learn and share information and best practices with industry peers.