BRITANNIA INDUSTRIES LIMITED
HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY
(Effective from, January 2021)
Respecting and upholding Human Rights and values is deeply ingrained in Britannia’s culture,
ways of working and value system over the years. This plays a fundamental role in our internal
and external interactions with employees, candidates, extended workforce, consumers,
partners, other stakeholders, the community and environment around us. This policy thus
extends to all our internal and external stakeholders which includes our employees, vendors,
contractors and business partners.
Our core values are INVITi)NG, IGNITi)NG, CREATi)NG and RESPECTi)NG that formulate
the base of all our policies, practices, processes, engagements and are entrenched as the
foundational principles to our approaches.
Our human rights policy is formulated in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on
Human Rights, International Bill of Human Rights International Labour Organization (ILO)
and principles of National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC) of the
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India. We are committed to respecting the human rights in
accordance with internationally accepted standards.
Our Internal Approach
At Britannia, we encourage employees to adopt an ownership mindset and operate with
a sense of accountability and responsibility towards their actions that may impact
internal as well as external stakeholders and consumers.
We nurture an environment of Inclusion where diversity of thoughts, ideas, views,
culture, gender, generation, race, colour, identity, religion, political opinion,
nationality, social origin, status, disability or any other personal characteristic is treated
with merit and not differentiated against. We are thus an equal opportunity employer
and meritocracy and performance orientation is deep seeded in our ethos of an
INVITi)NG workplace.
With our RESPECTi)NG value system, we adopt a zero-tolerance stance towards any
behaviour that involves disrespect, harassment, unfair treatment, discrimination or
which is against our principles of integrity, ethics and transparency.
Britannia protects employees and those working in our premises from workplace
harassment of all forms and encourages the exercise of the right to freedom of
expression in instances of violations of Human Rights with utmost prudence through
our Code of Business Conduct, Anti-Sexual Harassment, Whistle Blower, Labour and
Welfare policies and legal labour mechanisms. The organization empowers and
educates employees and the responsible committees on their roles and responsibilities
to share or address any such observation and ensures there is no fear of retaliation or
disclosure of identity in voicing issues of this nature.
As an Organization, we are committed to inquire into, address, and take appropriate
action against anyone who is found guilty of such unacceptable behaviour through
various internal committees, including those statutory in nature as well as take
preventive measures against these actions and behaviours.
Our workplaces and practices focus on the health and wellbeing of employees and their
family members. Safety First is our guiding motto and this echoes our endeavour to
maximise safety and minimise any workplace hazard. Our workforce is trained to this
affect as well as to handle emergency situations. We encourage compliance with all
applicable environmental, health and safety regulations and strive for risk free work
culture. We ensure workplace hygiene and sanitation is maintained and working hours
and breaks are followed as per the applicable labour laws. We also encourage our
suppliers to follow fair wage and overtime pay regulations. Our communications and
engagement prioritise and reinforce the need for holistic wellness amongst our
employees.
We respect the privacy of all our human resources and protect their proprietary and
confidential information in accordance with the applicable law.
This outreach extends to not only our internal programs but external touch points as well.
Our External Approach
At Britannia, we promote and inculcate the element of sustainability in what we do. Our
sustainability agenda is to Do The Right Ting towards the community and environment around
us. Our employees are constantly encouraged to partner in our sustainability agenda through
various employee volunteering, CSR and sustainability initiatives.
Our CSR agenda is to address malnutrition in children and adolescents and promote
sustainable living in communities especially around our factories. We respect the rights
of local and indigenous communities which includes their social, cultural and land
rights.
Towards prospective employees and partners as well, we provide equal opportunities
and do not differentiate or discriminate on any ground. Our recruitment policy is fair,
transparent, and compliant with the governing laws. All forms of practices involving
forced labour, child labour and human trafficking are forbidden at Britannia. We ensure
fair treatment, respect union affiliation and collective bargaining within the appropriate
national or applicable frameworks.
We ensure compliance with all applicable legal mandates set forth by the respective
state and national government across all territories of our operations, which also include
the national labour regulations.
Governance & Oversight
This policy resonates with the current policies, practices and value system at Britannia. The
same is governed by the Management Committee to ensure compliance, communication and
regular amends as may be required. Our Code of Business Conduct (COBC) specifies
mechanisms for escalation ranging from reporting to the direct manager, principal manager or
the compliance officer. We also have a Whistle Blower policy with a line of escalation to our
Ethics Committee. Particular to sexual harassment, all complaints are reviewed by the Internal
Complains Committee (ICC). The Management Committee reserves the right to revise this
policy. It may also establish further rules and procedures, from time to time, to give effect to
this Policy and to ensure compliance with the UN Guiding Principles and applicable labour
regulations.
Ritesh Rana
VP Human Resources
