Panelto Foods expects its suppliers to monitor and manage their supply chains to ensure that children are not involved in the manufacture and supply of products to the business.  If children are active in the workplace, they are being denied the access to education, their rights to childhood and their physical and mental health and general wellbeing are at risk.
 

The policy below details actions to be taken to verify age prior to employment to avoid any instances of child labour. However, should this be uncovered, the policy remediation is laid out below, it is our suppliers’ responsibility to communicate this through their own supply chain and implement the policy.
 

Young worker and Age Verification Policy 

Young workers (those between the minimum working age and 18) can be employed, although there are precautions that need to be in place to ensure that they are afforded adequate protection:

​

• Cannot be employed at night

• Cannot work overtime

• Cannot conduct any form of potentially hazardous or physically demanding work

• Provided any health checks as required by law

• Young workers are registered with any local labour departments as required

• Employment contracts to be counter signed my parents

​

​

Panelto Foods is supportive of any programmes in place to help develop the skills of young workers, but any young workers on such a programme must receive at least minimum wage.
In addition to the stipulations in Panelto Foods Ethical Policy, the below has been laid out to provide guidance on the minimum requirements to ensure that this is managed effectively, all suppliers are expected to fully implement as follows:

 

• There must be an effective procedure in place to verify the ages of all workers prior to employment. Evidence to verify every worker’s date of birth must be kept on file

• Ensure that this policy is communicated to and agreed by all labour providers

• Ensure that all employment vacancy advertisements and postings clearly define the minimum age requirements

• Post minimum working age policy on the factory/site exterior

• Where young workers are employed, all local requirements must be followed, and specific risk assessments must be conducted to identify any specific hazards

​

For complete clarity on Panelto Foods position on child labour, and to avoid any confusion: No children are to be allowed in production areas under any circumstances.

Remediation

​

In the event that you currently have or discover any person under the age of 16 in your supply chain, you must inform Panelto Foods immediately.  
 

Panelto Foods will not terminate any trading relationship based on a report of child labour alone.  Support will be offered to any supplier through the below process of remediation, provided all steps are follow no sanctions will be imposed.  The best interests of the child are to be held above all else. The below actions must be taken:

​

• To mitigate the risk to the child, immediately remove the child from the production area, or if working from home, stop the work 

• Make immediate contact with Panelto Foods procurement contact

​

Panelto Foods will collaborate with the supplier to work out a personalised plan for the remediation of the child.  Whilst that plan is in work, the child should not be formally dismissed, and wages are to continue to be paid.  The child must not be present at the site of work during this period.
Alongside the supplier and any appropriate local organisations, Panelto Foods will draft a plan that ensures that the child is returned to education without being financially disadvantaged.  This would include:

 

• Making contact with the child’s family wherever possible to ascertain the circumstances prompting the need for the child to work

• Providing for the immediate welfare of the child

• Ensuring that the child continues to receive their salary until they reach legal working age

• Make sure that the child completes compulsory schooling.  If the child has already completed compulsory schooling, then vocational training is to be arranged as an alternative

If you have any concerns or questions regarding child labour, please contact the procurement contact.