[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

HP has issued new guidelines and measurement processes for its suppliers in China. The directive addresses the increase in the use of student and dispatch workers—such as temporary, auxiliary and substitute workers—in manufacturing facilities across China.

The guidelines for student and temporary workers were developed in consultation with stakeholders such as China’s Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility.

In addition to mandating fair remuneration and social insurance, HP’s guidelines focus on the following:

• All work must be voluntary: Student and temporary workers shall be free to leave work at any time upon reasonable notice without negative repercussions, and they must have access to reliable and reprisal-free grievance mechanisms.
• Local regulations must be reinforced or exceeded: All regulations regarding legal working age, work environment, working hours, and contractual and term limits for student and temporary workers will be reinforced. Additionally, HP guidelines limit student working hours to below the legal limit.
• Number of student workers must be limited: HP’s guidelines specify the acceptable levels of student workers to ensure the direct labor force in manufacturing facilities is composed primarily of full-time workers.
• Student work must complement the primary area of study: Student workers should only engage in work activities that complement the primary degree they are seeking to obtain.

Suppliers are being asked to comply with these guidelines immediately and will be measured through ongoing social and environmental responsibility (SER) audits as well as HP’s key performance indicator (KPI) program, says HP.

HP is concurrently implementing a new industry-standard audit protocol and collection tool based on recent Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) provisions that have a “zero tolerance” policy for the worst cases of nonconformity to working-hours standards.

HP’s supply chains comprise more than 1,000 production suppliers, along with tens of thousands of non-production suppliers, spanning across more than 45 countries and territories.

[Image courtesy: HP]