Gildan Archives - SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine Insights on how you can protect the environment, maintain and increase the value of your company, through a structured CSR/Sustainability process with the use of the GRI Standards. Learn how Today's Best-Run Companies are achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success - and How You Can Too... Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:41:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 Case study: How Gildan promotes high ethical standards among its contractors and suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-gildan-promotes-high-ethical-standards-among-its-contractors-and-suppliers/ Fri, 22 Jul 2022 06:05:33 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=13882 Gildan is one of the world’s largest vertically integrated manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, whose product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products. This case study is based on the 2020 ESG Report by Gildan, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing. Abstract All third-party manufacturing contractors and key raw material suppliers are […]

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]]> Gildan is one of the world’s largest vertically integrated manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, whose product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products. Compliance with its ethical, social, and environmental standards is a condition of doing business with Gildan, and becoming part of its supply chain.  Tweet This!

This case study is based on the 2020 ESG Report by Gildan, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

All third-party manufacturing contractors and key raw material suppliers are required to formally acknowledge Gildan’s high ethical standards, and agree to comply with them throughout the term of their relationship with Gildan. In order to promote high ethical standards among its contractors and suppliers Gildan took action to:

  • implement a Code of Conduct
  • promote compliance

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2020 ESG Report Gildan identified a range of material issues, such as economic empowerment, climate change and energy, diversity, equity and inclusion, operational waste management. Among these, promoting high ethical standards among its contractors and suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Gildan.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Gildan engages with: 

To identify and prioritise material topics Gildan engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Investors/Shareholders

 

 ·      Annual General Meeting

·      Earnings conference calls

·      Investor perception study

·      Investor days

·      Site tours

·      Investor meetings with company management

·      Institutional Investor conferences

·      Shareholder Engagement meetings with Board of Directors

·      Meetings with financial institutions
Contractors and suppliers ·      Trainings

·      Social compliance audits
Employees / Unions

 

 

 

 ·      Global employee engagement and pulse surveys

·      Worker-management committee meetings

·      Gildan internal communications

·      Roundtables
Customers

 

 ·      ESG Customer Audits of Facilities

·      Site Visits/ Facility Tours

·      Customer meetings with Management

·      Conferences

·      Tradeshows

·      Social Media
NGOs

 

 ·      Memberships

·      Audits

·      Roundtables and conferences

·      Committee Meetings
Local Communities ·      Town hall meetings
Students / Academia / Schools

 

 ·      Mentoring

·      Internships

·      Participation in research projects
Government ·      Direct meetings

What actions were taken by Gildan to promote high ethical standards among its contractors and suppliers?

In its 2020 ESG Report Gildan reports that it took the following actions for promoting high ethical standards among its contractors and suppliers:

  • Implementing a Code of Conduct
  • Before taking on new contractors, Gildan follows a rigorous due diligence process wherein it fully evaluates their ability to comply with its quality standards, cost structure, and the principles of its Code of Conduct, which aligns with internationally recognised standards and is divided into 12 principles that state Gildan’s position on fundamental labour rights and business practices. Gildan does this through mandatory audits conducted either by its internal auditors or, in some instances, by a third-party auditor.
  • Promoting compliance
  • Upon entering a relationship with a third-party contractor, Gildan’s regional social compliance teams work with contractors to educate and assist the development of sound labour practices, effective labour compliance management systems, and policies and procedures, and to implement remediation where required. Gildan’s auditors regularly assess its third-party manufacturing partners for compliance with its policies and guidelines in its Social and Sustainable Compliance Guidebook. In the event of a non-compliance, Gildan’s regional compliance teams work with its third-party contractors to develop a management action plan (MAP), ensuring appropriate mitigation is put in place to prevent recurrence. Progress on each MAP is tracked through Gildan’s Corporate Social Responsibility data platform. If a contractor facility is not able to demonstrate improvements within Gildan’s prescribed timeframe, Gildan reserves the right to terminate its relationship with them. In 2020, 100% of Gildan’s contractors worldwide were trained on its Social and Sustainable Compliance Guidebook.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria

2) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

 

Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

  • Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
  • Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
  • Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
  • Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.
References:

This case study is based on published information by Gildan, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.genuineresponsibility.com/media/documents/reports/bgildan-2020-esg-report.pdf

Note to Gildan: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Gildan promotes high ethical standards among its contractors and suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Gildan protects employee rights https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-gildan-protects-employee-rights/ Fri, 11 Oct 2019 06:17:52 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=10103 As one of the world’s largest vertically-integrated manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, Gildan directly employs over 50,000 employees and operates 30 manufacturing facilities globally. Understanding that its people are its most important resource, , including its Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Human Rights Policy. This case study is based on the 2018 Sustainability Report by Gildan published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on […]

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]]> As one of the world’s largest vertically-integrated manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, Gildan directly employs over 50,000 employees and operates 30 manufacturing facilities globally. Understanding that its people are its most important resource, Gildan has strictly applied codes and policies designed to protect the rights of employees in its operations and supply chain  Tweet This!, including its Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Human Rights Policy.

This case study is based on the 2018 Sustainability Report by Gildan published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Gildan believes that all employees have the right to be free from discrimination or harassment, receive a fair wage, be treated with respect and dignity, have opportunities to have their voices heard and be part of a supportive network of peers. In order to protect employee rights Gildan took action to:

  • protect the freedom of association
  • provide grievance mechanisms
  • respect human rights

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report Gildan identified a range of material issues, such as occupational health and safety, operational water and wastewater management, business impact on the community, energy and emissions management. Among these, protecting employee rights stands out as a key material issue for Gildan.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Gildan engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics Gildan engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Investors/Shareholders

 

 ·      Annual General Meeting – includes the opportunity to cast an advisory vote on the Company’s approach to executive compensation

·      Earnings Release Conference Calls

·      2017 Materiality Assessment

·      Investor perception study

·      Investor day on-site

·      On-request meetings with Board members
Board of Directors

 

 ·      Board meetings

·      Various site visits
Employees

 

 

 

 

 ·      Global employee engagement survey

·      Pulse surveys

·      2017 Materiality Assessment

·      Worker-Management Committee Meetings

·      Employee Meetings – Headquarters

·      Gildan TV Internal Communications

·      Round tables
Customers

 

 ·      2017 Materiality Assessment

·      Benchmarking

·      Audits
NGOs

 

 

 

 ·      Memberships

·      Audit requests

·      Participation in Roundtables

·      Committee Meetings

·      Conferences

·      Webinars

·      Workshops

·      Materiality Assessment
Local Communities ·      Town Hall Meetings

·      Also through relevant NGOs
Students / Academia / Schools

 

 ·      Mentoring

·      Internship Programme

·      Participation in research projects
Government ·      Meetings

What actions were taken by Gildan to protect employee rights?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report Gildan reports that it took the following actions for protecting employee rights:

  • Protecting the freedom of association
  • Gildan fundamentally respect its employees’ rights to form or join any organisation or association of their choosing, including unions. Gildan also respects their rights to engage in collective bargaining. Approximately 55% of Gildan’s global employees are currently covered by a collective bargaining agreement in place between unions and corresponding facilities.
  • Providing grievance mechanisms
  • Gildan has an open-door policy to encourage employees to contact management on any matter and receive immediate feedback, and hosts roundtables organised by management and employees to define best practices, identify grievances and collectively develop action plans for remediation. Gildan also offers options to report grievances anonymously at all of its administrative offices and manufacturing facilities, including through its Integrity and Social Responsibility Hotline and in suggestion boxes. Employees can report their grievances without fear of reprisals. Gildan’s confidential Integrity and Social Responsibility Hotline, administered by an independent third party, is available to all employees, suppliers and others in multiple languages to report any suspected misconduct in any area. Complaints are reported on a quarterly basis to the Ethics and Compliance Committee, the Compliance Steering Committee, the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors. The hotline is tested annually by the Company’s internal audit department and, in 2018, Gildan received a total of 41 calls, the majority of which related to minor Human Resources issues. Employees can also anonymously place written comments in suggestion boxes, which are situated on the production floor and in the cafeterias of all manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Basin and Bangladesh, at Gildan’s Barbados offices and in a number of locations in the U.S. Written messages are retrieved from the boxes on a regular basis by a regional, non-management employee. The majority of concerns relate to Human Resources matters, operational issues and personnel management. Gildan seeks to fully resolve 100% of issues raised, in a timely manner. Additionally, to make sure new employees are aware of the resources available to them and how they can be used, Gildan provides training on grievance mechanisms as part of their orientation process and, in 2018, grievance mechanism training was provided to a total of 35,303 employees throughout Bangladesh, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
  • Respecting human rights
  • Gildan is committed to respecting human rights and its Human Rights Policy, which is based on the United Nations’ Guiding Principles, sets clear standards that Gildan-owned manufacturing facilities as well as its contractors are required to follow. The policy is complemented with Gildan’s Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct, which include principles related to workers’ fundamental rights such as Freedom of Association, Non-discrimination, prohibition of forced labour and child labour. Respect for human rights is supervised by Gildan’s Corporate Citizenship department, validating compliance through the Social Compliance audit program and reporting any violation of human rights on a quarterly basis to Gildan’s Board of Directors. The Human Resources team also plays a key role in ensuring respect for human rights, on a day-to-day basis. In October 2018, as part of its commitment to respecting human rights, Gildan joined the Industry Commitment to Responsible Recruitment developed in conjunction with the American Apparel & Footwear Association and the Fair Labor Association. The commitment is a proactive industry effort to address potential forced labour risks for migrant workers in the global supply chain and signatories must ensure that no workers pay for their job, that workers retain control of their travel documents and that they have full freedom of movement.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 402-1 Minimum notice periods regarding operational changes

2) Disclosure 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken

3) Disclosure 407-1 Operations and suppliers in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at risk

 

Disclosure 402-1 Minimum notice periods regarding operational changes corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Labor/management relations

Disclosure 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
  • Business theme: Non-discrimination
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Non-discrimination
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
  • Business theme: Non-discrimination

Disclosure 407-1 Operations and suppliers in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at risk corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Freedom of association and collective bargaining

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

  • Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
  • Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
  • Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
  • Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Gildan, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Gildan: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Gildan protects employee rights appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Gildan optimises water use https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-gildan-optimises-water-use/ Thu, 30 May 2019 15:11:46 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=9411 As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of activewear, underwear and socks, directly controlling almost every step in the process of manufacturing its products, Gildan acknowledges that its operations have an impact on the environment and works relentlessly to develop more efficient technologies and processes to safeguard water resources and optimise water use. This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainability Report by Gildan published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) […]

The post Case study: How Gildan optimises water use appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of activewear, underwear and socks, directly controlling almost every step in the process of manufacturing its products, Gildan acknowledges that its operations have an impact on the environment and works relentlessly to develop more efficient technologies and processes to safeguard water resources and optimise water use.

This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainability Report by Gildan published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Since 2015, Gildan managed to reduce its water intensity by 10%  Tweet This! through new equipment and technology, various water management systems and, also, by optimising overall water usage intensity. In order to optimise water use Gildan took action to:

  • improve water consumption
  • reduce water intensity
  • improve wastewater management

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Gildan identified a range of material issues, such as product quality and safety, business ethics and compliance, human and labour rights, energy and emissions management. Among these, optimising water use stands out as a key material issue for Gildan.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Gildan engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Shareholders

 

 ·      Annual General Meeting

·      Earnings Release Conference Calls

·      Conferences and non-deal road- shows
Investors (Institutional)

 

 ·      Investor Relations Day

·      Materiality Assessment

·      Earnings Release Conference Calls

·      Investor perception study

·      Comprehensive facility tour

·      On-request meetings with Board members
Board of Directors ·      Board meetings
Employees

 

 

 

 

 ·      Global employee engagement survey

·      Pulse surveys

·      Materiality Assessment

·      Worker-Management Committee Meetings

·      Employee Meetings – Headquarters

·      Gildan TV Internal Communications

·      Round tables
Customers

 

 ·      Materiality Assessment

·      Benchmarking

·      Audits
NGOs

 

 

 

 ·      Memberships

·      Audit requests

·      Participation in Roundtables

·      Committee Meetings

·      Conferences

·      Webinars

·      Workshops

·      Materiality Assessment
Local Communities ·      Memberships

·      Audit requests

·      Participation in Roundtables

·      Committee Meetings

·      Conferences

·      Webinars

·      Workshops

·      Materiality Assessment

·      Town Hall Meetings
Students / Academia / Schools

 

 ·      Mentoring

·      Internship Programme

·      Participation in research projects
Government ·      Meetings

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Gildan carried out interviews with internal stakeholders (senior leaders from different business functions) and engaged with over 25 external stakeholders (including civil society organisations, printwear and retail customers, investors and trade associations) through focus groups.

What actions were taken by Gildan to optimise water use?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Gildan reports that it took the following actions for optimising water use:

  • Improving water consumption
  • Gildan’s average global water consumption for the dyeing of its textiles was calculated in 2017 to be 56-57 litres of water per kilogram of product, while the indicated industry average water usage needed to create a white cotton t-shirt is, approximately, 65-70 litres per kg of product in the apparel industry. Thus, Gildan’s performance regarding water consumption is strong, relative to the textile industry average. In addition, Gildan sources the vast majority of its water needs from wells (97%), and only a small percentage is supplied by the municipalities (3%). Gildan also makes sure that its water usage does not significantly affect any water source, and does not use water from any Ramsar-listed wetlands or from water bodies recognised as being particularly sensitive.
  • Reducing water intensity
  • In 2010, Gildan first established five-year environmental goals based on its environmental footprint, which included a 20% water reduction in water intensity per kg of product. During the 2010-2015 period, Gildan achieved a reduction in its water intensity by 17% per kg of production. This reduction translated into savings of around 3.85 million cubic meters of water, or the equivalent of more than 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
  • Improving wastewater management
  • Effective management of its wastewater effluent is a top priority for Gildan and an area where it has adopted innovative solutions for many years. For example, Gildan’s Biotop system, located in its Honduran and Dominican Republic manufacturing hubs, is a highly efficient biological wastewater treatment system that has been used since these facilities’ inception, has yielded excellent results, and maintained an extremely rich ecosystem adjacent to Gildan’s production facilities. Unlike traditional chemical-based treatment systems, the system’s purpose is to treat wastewater through a series of interconnected lagoons, which naturally eliminate dyes and chemicals from the effluent and stabilise the wastewaters’ pH. Additionally, Gildan implements a series of biological reactors for the treatment of effluents, and to increase its wastewater treatment capacity at textile hubs. These systems leverage biological oxidation as an effective wastewater treatment process, operate at a low operational cost and work together with the Biotop system, guaranteeing a continuous and safe wastewater treatment system. Moreover, Gildan does not discharge water into any protected rivers and/or wetlands and strict controls are enforced on all effluents discharged from Gildan’s wastewater treatment plants. All treatment facilities are required to meet local discharge regulations and exhaustive biological surveys are carried out at least every two years, to review the impact that the facilities may have on the environment.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source

2) Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water

3) Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused

4) Disclosure 306-1 Water discharge by quality and destination

 

Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source corresponds to:

Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water corresponds to:

Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused corresponds to:

Disclosure 306-1 Water discharge by quality and destination corresponds to:

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

  • Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
  • Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
  • Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
  • Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Gildan, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Gildan: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Gildan optimises water use appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Gildan empowers women at work https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-gildan-empowers-women-at-work/ Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:50:22 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=9136 As a leading manufacturer and marketer of everyday basic apparel, Gildan recognises the importance of its people to its business success and embraces its responsibility to treat its 50,000 direct employees with respect and dignity, investing in their personal and professional development and promoting a true spirit of inclusiveness that celebrates diversity. This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainability Report by Gildan published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying […]

The post Case study: How Gildan empowers women at work appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]>

As a leading manufacturer and marketer of everyday basic apparel, Gildan recognises the importance of its people to its business success and embraces its responsibility to treat its 50,000 direct employees with respect and dignity, investing in their personal and professional development and promoting a true spirit of inclusiveness that celebrates diversity.

This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainability Report by Gildan published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Layout 1

Abstract

Gildan is pleased that over 42% of the company’s management positions are held by females, but seeks to do more to empower women at work  Tweet This! by strengthening training and development programmes, providing more advancement opportunities for its female employees. In order to empower women at work Gildan took action to:

  • implement a Women’s Empowerment Programme
  • host developmental activities
  • launch a women’s leadership series
  • partner to expand opportunities for women

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Gildan identified a range of material issues, such as human and labour rights, manufacturing & distribution health and safety, operational water & wastewater management, business ethics and compliance, product quality and safety. Among these, empowering women at work stands out as a key material issue for Gildan.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Gildan engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Shareholders

 

 ·      Annual General Meeting

·      Earnings Release Conference Calls

·      Conferences and non-deal road- shows
Investors (Institutional)

 

 ·      Investor Relations Day

·      Materiality Assessment

·      Earnings Release Conference Calls

·      Investor perception study

·      Comprehensive facility tour

·      On-request meetings with Board members
Board of Directors ·      Board meetings
Employees

 

 

 

 

 ·      Global employee engagement survey

·      Pulse surveys

·      Materiality Assessment

·      Worker-Management Committee Meetings

·      Employee Meetings – Headquarters

·      Gildan TV Internal Communications

·      Round tables
Customers

 

 ·      Materiality Assessment

·      Benchmarking

·      Audits
NGOs

 

 

 

 ·      Memberships

·      Audit requests

·      Participation in Roundtables

·      Committee Meetings

·      Conferences

·      Webinars

·      Workshops

·      Materiality Assessment
Local Communities ·      Memberships

·      Audit requests

·      Participation in Roundtables

·      Committee Meetings

·      Conferences

·      Webinars

·      Workshops

·      Materiality Assessment

·      Town Hall Meetings
Students / Academia / Schools

 

 ·      Mentoring

·      Internship Programme

·      Participation in research projects
Government ·      Meetings

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Gildan carried out internal stakeholder interviews and, also, conducted focus groups to engage more than 25 external stakeholders – including civil society organisations, printwear and retail customers, investors
and trade associations – in an open discussion on the importance of each material topic.

What actions were taken by Gildan to empower women at work?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Gildan reports that it took the following actions for empowering women at work:

  • Implementing a Women’s Empowerment Programme
  • Gildan’s Women’s Empowerment Programme, first implemented in collaboration with the Walmart Foundation and World Vision Honduras, supports women by helping them develop the skills they need to become more active decision-makers and leaders in their jobs and their families. The Women’s Empowerment Programme helps employees recognise their capabilities and provides them with the tools needed to balance demands from both work and home. The programme includes over 56 hours of training, and offers the opportunity to learn about subjects such as management, finance, communications and health. At the end of the programme, women graduates who demonstrate strong leadership potential are selected to train the next round of candidates. The cycle then repeats itself, to support the programme in each facility. Men can also receive basic training, learning to recognise some of the challenges women face and how to support them. Up to now, more than 1580 Gildan employees in Honduras, both men and women, have participated in this training.
  • Hosting developmental activities
  • In March 2017, Gildan hosted a series of developmental activities across the company. More specifically, the Company’s headquarters in Montreal hosted a panel discussion led by the President of the Association of Quebec Women in Finance, presenting three employees at different stages of their careers. These women shared their journey, their insight on proactive career management and their personal and professional development strategies.
  • Launching a women’s leadership series
  • Beginning in the fall of 2017, Gildan launched a women’s leadership series, featuring inspirational and empowering stories shared by successful women. These sessions aimed to foster the development of Gildan’s employees, and emphasise women’s unique and important place in society. The workshops took place in two phases: the first included a larger session with 300- 400 women who attended the speaker presentation and the second session was a smaller group of high-potential employees who went through additional one-on-one training. This series was intended to provide guidance on developing leadership skills, in addition to key elements such as taking ownership over one’s career.
  • Partnering to expand opportunities for women
  • Gildan started a partnership with Catalyst, a leading global non-profit organisation whose mission is to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion. Catalyst represents a community of leaders committed to increasing opportunities for women and business. Employees have access to a wide-ranging spectrum of resources, including educational webinars, virtual events, research and social networking. They can make the most of all the resources Catalyst provides to learn about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs

2) Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees

 

Disclosure 404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Employee training and education

Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees corresponds to:

 

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References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Gildan, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

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