Social Aspects of the Supply Chain

Fair working conditions are the highest aim

Work has to be humane, safe, and fair. These are the foundations of the HUGO BOSS Social Standards, which the company and its suppliers pledge to follow. They define a minimum standard for countries where local laws have weaker provisions and are a prerequisite for collaboration with HUGO BOSS.

The social standards: committed to good working conditions

The HUGO BOSS social standards form the basis of cooperation with suppliers. Social standards are an important framework for partners, especially in countries where national legislation does not adequately protect workers.

The social standards are based on internationally recognized standards such as the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among other things, they prohibit child and forced labor and prescribe decent working conditions and adequate wages. They also guarantee the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. In addition, they contain provisions on environmental standards to be observed.

To support suppliers in implementing the specific requirements of the social standards, particularly with regard to child and forced labor, HUGO BOSS developed a separate guideline in 2018. The Child Labor Policy contains, among other things, guidelines on processes designed to prevent child and forced labor, as well as explanations on concrete measures that must be taken if child or forced labor is involved.

Regular audits

When we select new partners, we review whether they fulfill the social standards defined by HUGO BOSS. Businesses must pass a pre-sourcing audit to be added to our supplier portfolio. These social audits are repeated regularly over the course of the business relationship – partially announced, some unannounced. Each audit is followed by an extensive report. Detailed information about the requirements, along with training courses, help the suppliers comply with the standards.

Support for improvements

If violations of the social standards are discovered, corrective action plans are developed together with the supplier to rectify the situation. Their implementation is reviewed and documented in defined audit cycles (see our supplier fact sheet for more information). If no improvement has been made, HUGO BOSS will ultimately end the partnership with the supplier as a last resort.

A total of 153 audits were carried out in 2018.

Overall, all new suppliers of finished products were audited. 97% of active finished goods suppliers have a valid (follow-up) audit (Status as of 2018).

91% of goods from suppliers with at least satisfactory social audits

91% of procurement volume is sourced from finished goods suppliers with good or satisfactory audit results (Status as of 2018).

Training courses on compliance with social standards

86% of active finished goods suppliers took part in a training course on social standards. The target of HUGO BOSS is to continuously train all finished goods suppliers in social standards (Status as of 2018).

Phases and priorities of our commitment

HUGO BOSS for Tamil Nadu

Initiate dialogs, promote discussion, submit improvements: HUGO BOSS is committed to Tamil Nadu in a comprehensive initiative by the Textiles Partnership aimed at improving working conditions in the local textile industry.

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Human rights and labor standards

HUGO BOSS is committed to upholding human rights and complying with international social standards in the global supply chain. We aim to source more than 90% of goods from suppliers that have at least satisfactory social audits.

Health and safety

HUGO BOSS defines its own HUGO BOSS Social Standards to ensure health and safety at the workplace. This is particularly important in countries where legal and societal protections for workers are relatively weak.

HUGO BOSS commitment in the supply chain

HUGO BOSS places great value on collaborations with businesses and organizations to achieve systematic sustainability improvements along the textile value chain through our consolidated expertise. HUGO BOSS’ commitments to collaborations for improving labor and social standards in the supply chain are summarized below.

Fair Labor Association (FLA)

HUGO BOSS joined the FLA in 2014 to promote and protect employee rights and to advance improvements to working conditions. The HUGO BOSS Social Compliance Program was fully accredited for the first time in 2018 (more information here) and will now be assessed regularly. The implementation of the Social Compliance Program is continuously monitored by independent assessments conducted by the FLA at selected HUGO BOSS suppliers and the results are published on the FLA website.

In addition, through its participation in the FLA’s Fair Compensation Work Plan, HUGO BOSS supports approaches for enabling better pay and developing new, industry-wide standards.
Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

HUGO BOSS became a member of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles in 2015. The initiative, whose members cover nearly half of the German textiles market, aims to improve the social, environmental, and economic conditions in global textiles production together. HUGO BOSS is active in a working group on chemicals management, for example. Members are also required to define binding, verifiable sustainability targets, which must be published in an annual roadmap starting in 2018.
Tamil Nadu Initiative

In the framework of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, HUGO BOSS has participated in the partnership initiative “Tamil Nadu” since 2017. This initiative aims to improve social standards at spinning mills and textile factories in the southern India region, with a special focus on improving women’s rights. In collaboration with local NGOs, employees and managers are trained in workers’ rights and complaint mechanisms. In particular, HUGO BOSS seeks to establish trust among the different stakeholders in the Tamil Nadu textile industry and supports the establishment of a political dialog between local governments, suppliers, and civil society.

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Initiative "Living wages"

Beginning in 2019, HUGO BOSS has been involved in the "Living Wages" Initiative as part of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. In order to achieve effective solutions for living wages in countries of production, the initiative focuses on various areas: With the already existing international collaboration Action Collaboration Transformation (ACT), it strives for collective bargaining in procurement countries with the aim of achieving industry-wide improvements. In this context, the members are also working with ACT to improve their purchasing practices so that suppliers have greater scope for wage increases. In addition, members of the initiative can have their suppliers trained by the Fair Wear Foundation on issues such as pricing.
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh

HUGO BOSS signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in 2016. The aim of the Accord is to establish health and safety measures as standards in the country’s textile industry, to ensure a safe workplace for employees. The company collaborates with two suppliers in Bangladesh, both of which are covered by the Accord. Within this framework, they are trained and audited on fire prevention and building safety and work continually on corrective measures.

HUGO BOSS also conducts an active dialog with other brands that produce in Bangladesh and aims to achieve constant improvement there. To this end, the company also signed the “Transition Accord”, which continues and expands the existing agreement.

Fair compensation

A fair compensation system for partners worldwide is not only the basis for a trusting, long-term partnership, but also for independent lives among employees. That’s why HUGO BOSS participates in the shaping of industry-wide standards and works on a compensation strategy for the employees of its suppliers.

In accordance with the HUGO BOSS Social Standards, every supplier must pay its workers compensation in the form of money or other benefits of its choice. This compensation should ensure an acceptable minimum standard of living, provide a living wage, and be adjusted regularly to adapt to changing conditions.

That’s why HUGO BOSS requires its suppliers to pay at least the statutory minimum wage or (depending on which amount is higher) an appropriate, industry-standard wage. The basic principles of fair compensation include:

Regular payment of wages
Compensation for actual performance and time worked
Information about individual salaries (through detailed salary statements, for example)
The right to collective bargaining
The avoidance of unequal compensation

HUGO BOSS declaration pursuant to the UK Modern Slavery Act

HUGO BOSS rejects all kinds of forced labor, especially modern slavery and human trafficking. HUGO BOSS regularly audits direct suppliers and partners to verify their compliance with the prohibition of modern slavery and human trafficking in accordance with our Code of Conduct, our social standards and the United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act of 2015. The following statement should send a clear signal of the HUGO BOSS commitment against all kinds of forced labor and modern slavery and demonstrate that HUGO BOSS is a socially responsible and reliable company.

Declaration on the UK Modern Slavery Act

Transparent complaint mechanism

Employees of HUGO BOSS, its partners, and its suppliers, as well as customers of the company and other third parties, have the possibility to contact the HUGO BOSS ombudsman directly with any questions or complaints about social standards, working conditions, or human rights. The ombudsman can also be contacted with indications of potential white collar crimes, antitrust violations, and violations of the compliance guidelines. Whistleblowers may remain anonymous if desired.

If HUGO BOSS employees cannot clearly determine which behavior is legally compliant in a given situation, they can obtain support and advice from their direct superior and from the company’s compliance officer.

Contact information for the HUGO BOSS ombudsman

Dr. Carsten Thiel von Herff, LL.M.
External lawyer
Phone: +49 521 55 7 333 0
Mobile: + 49 151 58 23 03 21
E-Mail: ombudsmann@thielvonherff.com
Thiel von Herff Rechtsanwälte
Detmolder Straße 30
33604 Bielefeld
Germany
Form for submitting relevant information

Employees, suppliers (and their employees) and customers can use the following form to contact the HUGO BOSS ombudsman directly. The form is available in many languages.

Go to the form
International phone numbers
The HUGO BOSS ombudsman can be called toll-free using the international phone numbers listed below. Any language barriers will be eliminated by arranging professional interpreters when needed.
- Egypt: 00800 00 09 571
- Belgium: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Brazil: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Bulgaria: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Denmark: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Germany: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- France: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Greece: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- United Kingdom: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Indonesia: 001 803 49 32 86
- Ireland: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Italy: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Croatia: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Malaysia: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Macedonia: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Netherlands: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Austria: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Poland: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Portugal: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Romania: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Serbia: 0800 19 10 46
- Switzerland: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Spain: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Thailand: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Turkey: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- Ukraine: 00800 50 47 10
- Hungary: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
- United States: 00800 66 28 37 626 / 00800 OMBUDSMAN
HUGO BOSS persons of trust in Asia
In China, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka, HUGO BOSS has established separate phone numbers for HUGO BOSS persons of trust (not for the HUGO BOSS ombudsman), which will record information and complaints about violations at any time.
- China: 0086 1350 0009 061
- Hong Kong: 0086 1350 0009 061
- Sri Lanka: 0086 1350 0009 061