Our partners and suppliers

The Group maintains balanced relationships with its stakeholders. They are particularly involved in the context of the development of joint projects benefiting both the Company and its communities (i.e. regional mobility plans, university chairs with academic bodies, supplier decarbonisation plans, etc.). Whenever necessary, the conclusions of this ongoing dialogue with the Group’s stakeholders are shared with the governance bodies.

These subcontractors and suppliers of the house are, for the most part (notably in Leather Goods and Textiles), historical partners. This stability is also evident with smaller suppliers, some of whom have been working with the house for over 60 years.

The group is committed to a general human rights policy applicable to its entire value chain, and particularly monitors issues related to human rights and fundamental freedoms, working conditions (hygiene, health, safety, working hours, wages, etc.).

The group ensures the absence of negative impacts on local communities or indigenous communities in its value chain by cross-referencing risk and sector mapping data with data and analyses with a company specialized in sectoral and geographical risk analysis for over 15 years and is a market reference.

The Hermès Executive Committee supervises all ethical matters, particularly those related to human rights. It relies on an Ethics Committee established in 2018, chaired by the General Manager of Governance and Organizational Development, a member of the Executive Committee, and composed of the Human Resources Director, also a member of the Executive Committee, the Group Social Development Director, the Group Legal Director, and the Compliance Legal Director. The Compliance Legal Department contributes to identifying risks related to human rights and fundamental freedoms and to developing measures to prevent violations, particularly within supply chains.

To do this, it collaborates with the main support departments of the Group. These departments are members of the Compliance and Vigilance Committee and participate in monitoring these missions, as well as drafting the vigilance plan. Functions that are central to vigilance duties, such as Human Resources or Purchasing Departments, have their own steering bodies. They meet regularly to monitor, using indicators, the actions implemented.

In the context of respecting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, the Hermès group strives to:

• Define compliance standards and recommend preventive actions;
• Ensure the monitoring of the entire group vigilance plan;
• Coordinate the consultation and involvement of stakeholders in updating the vigilance plan

Hermès is committed to promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the group’s ethical approach is in line with the universal framework of major international principles, standards and agreements. In particular, Hermès is committed to respecting:

• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ;
• the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights ;
• the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which covers principles grouped under the following themes: freedom of association, forced labour, child labour, discrimination;
• the OECD guidelines
   

The Hermès group is also a signatory to initiatives including the UN Global Compact. Our page on the Global Compact website attests to our membership since 2003.

In addition, it is committed to acting to protect human rights as laid out in the Due Diligence Act (Switzerland), the Modern Slavery Act (in the UK), the Figthing Against forced labour and Child Labour Act (Canada) and the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (in the US).

• our UK subsidiary’s statement concerning the Modern Slavery Act
• our statement concerning the California Supply Chain Act
• the Swiss Due Diligence reports : Hermès Suisse and La Montre Hermès
• our Canadian subsidiary's statement on the Fighting against forced labour and child labour in Supply Chains Act

In accordance with Act 2017-399 of 27 March 2017 concerning duty of vigilance, the Hermès group has drawn up a vigilance plan to identify risks and prevent serious violations concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms, the health and safety of individuals and the environment resulting from its activities and those of its suppliers and subcontractors.

The Compliance and Vigilance Committee oversees the vigilance plan. It meets quarterly in order to:

• define compliance guidelines;
• recommend preventive actions;
• manage and roll out employee awareness and training campaigns;
• monitor the entire vigilance plan.