Woodbridge’s commitment to Social Responsibility is embedded in our Mission Statement, our Purpose, our Values and Guiding Principles, our Code of Business Conducts and Ethics, our corporate policies and related standards, and the way that we do business and interact with the community.
In particular, Woodbridge’s Mission Statement provides as follows: “The Woodbridge Group provides products globally that continuously improve the consumer experience through superior comfort and appearance in a socially responsible way.”
Our Corporate Social Responsibility program has five pillars:
Environmental Sustainability
As a manufacturing company we understand the need to minimize the impact of our operations and our products on the environment.
Our Products
We are committed to sustainability by continuously improving our technologies and reducing precious resource consumption. Our strategy is to expand our “green” technologies by developing environmentally-friendly materials and technologies to build lightweight component products for better vehicle fuel economy and reduced emissions. The following are a few examples of green technologies that we have developed and commercialized in our portfolio of products that cater to the Autonomous and Electric vehicle markets:
FreshTech™ Series – a collection of products from Woodbridge all designed around the need to reduce or eliminate exposure to harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOCs”), such as formaldehyde and benzene. VOC minimized products from Woodbridge are available in everything from seat pads and trim to headliners and storage parts. Products such as TrimVisible LE™ foam also provides enhanced aesthetics while reducing harmful emissions to vehicle occupants.
FeatherWeight™ Series – this broad class of products allows vehicle components to shed the weight and to meet the ever more stringent fuel consumption limitations set by various governments. A great example is StructureLite™ a structural foam composite technology allows for the elimination of heavy, complex components, such as metal frames while providing passenger safety and support.
GreenLite™ optimized parts provide a smaller environmental footprint, at equal or better performance and cost, for seat cushions, seat frames, overhead systems and various trim components.
BioFoam™ bio-based polyol technology allows for the replacement of petrochemical-based chemicals with bio-based material in the manufacture of polyurethane foam.
Our Operations
Woodbridge believes that protection of the natural environment is of utmost concern in the operation of our business. We strive to have everyone within the organization take responsibility to comply with all applicable environmental laws, regulations and standards in our product development and manufacturing activities. It is the policy of the Company to actively pursue process innovation and fundamental research to prevent environmental pollution through the reduction and elimination of all forms of waste from our operations, including the reduction of energy consumption and the resultant release of greenhouse gas emissions. Our commitment to the environmental can be seen in:
- Our core Value of “Health, Safety & Environment”
- Our comprehensive Environmental Management System
Our Community Involvement
Woodbridge believes that each and every person can and should have a positive impact on the world.
Woodbridge Cares is a global initiative aimed at inspiring all our Teammates to contribute to the communities in which we operate, through volunteerism and philanthropy. This global effort aims to empower individual Teammates, larger teams, entire locations, and all regions to develop initiatives that hold special meaning for them. Woodbridge Cares looks to reach out at a grassroots level, to inspire Teammates to get involved and to feel good about contributing to their local communities.
The Woodbridge Cares Community Involvement Committee has the following charter:
“To further our commitment to deliver products in a socially responsible way, we commit to look at ways we can continue to inspire and give back to the communities where we work and live. The committee will provide guidance and support to our teams regarding local community involvement, volunteerism and philanthropy.”
Woodbridge Cares has four main principles:
PARTICIPATION… Improve the communities in which we operate through volunteerism and philanthropy.
- Start with our own Teammates and their families
- Expand to our immediate local communities
- Participate in worthwhile global initiatives
EMPOWERMENT… Empower and support individual Teammates, groups of Teammates, locations and regions to develop initiatives that hold special meaning for them.
- Grassroots / local approach
- Corporate to provide support for those local initiatives
INSPIRATION… Track, share and recognize success stories in order to inspire others.
- Track dollars, volunteer hours and impact
- Communicate internally and externally
- Recognize the accomplishments of individuals, teams, locations and regions
ENGAGEMENT… Enhance Teammate work experiences through community involvement.
- Feel good while doing rewarding work for the community
Our People
At Woodbridge, we believe that our people are our most important resource.
From the beginning, our corporate Purpose has set out our aim “to deliver safe workplaces and the profitability required to create and sustain rewarding jobs.” As such, we have been committed to protecting this valuable resource in four important ways:
Safety
Since the formation of the Company, Teammate safety has unquestionably been Woodbridge’s top priority. This can be seen in:
- Our core Value of “Health, Safety & Environment”
- Our world-class Health and Safety Management System
Fairness and Respect
In addition, we are deeply committed to protecting our Teammates’ human rights and promoting and ensuring non-discrimination and diversity in the workplace, as evidenced by:
- Our core Value of “Respect People & Diversity”
- Our Workplace Fairness and Respect Policy which provides our Teammates with comprehensive protections relating to discrimination and various forms of harassment.
- Our Equal Employment Opportunities Policy Statementthat says, in part, that: “It is the policy of The Woodbridge Group to continue to provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.”
- Our Open Door Policy which sets out our long-standing system which allows all Teammates to take any concerns up-the-management-chain until the issue is resolved.
Teammates’ Rights
Woodbridge is committed to maintaining global working conditions and standards that result in dignified and respectful treatment of all Woodbridge Teammates within all our global operating locations. As such, we make the following commitments to our Woodbridge Teammates in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics:
- Child labour shall not be utilized.
- Any form of forced or compulsory labour is prohibited.
- Woodbridge Teammates, without fear of reprisal, intimidation or harassment, have the right to communicate openly with management regarding working conditions.
- Woodbridge Teammates also have the right to associate freely and join labour unions and workers’ councils in accordance with local laws.
- Woodbridge Teammates shall be protected against any form of harassment and discrimination in any form, including but not limited to gender, sex, age, religion, disability and political beliefs.
- Woodbridge Teammates shall have a safe and healthy workplace that meets or exceeds all applicable standards for occupational health and safety.
- Woodbridge Teammates shall be compensated with wages and benefits that are competitive and comply with local law, including minimum wages, overtime hours and legally mandated benefits.
- Woodbridge will treat all Teammates with dignity and respect.
- Working hours shall comply with all applicable local laws regulating hours of work.
Youth Employment
We have maintained a longstanding commitment to fostering employment opportunities for young people through, amongst other things, an extensive engineering co-op student program.
In addition to complying with all laws, we firmly believe in conducting our business with honesty, integrity, fairness and respect throughout the organization.
We require that our Woodbridge Teammates respect and act in a manner sensitive to the cultures and customs of the countries in which we operate, as well as the communities and environment where we conduct business.
In addition to complying with all laws, we firmly believe in conducting our business with honesty, integrity, fairness and respect throughout the organization.
We require that our Woodbridge Teammates respect and act in a manner sensitive to the cultures and customs of the countries in which we operate, as well as the communities and environment where we conduct business.
Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics – The Woodbridge Way is a comprehensive guide for all of our Teammates related to various legal, social and ethical matters and contains, among others, the following requirements:
- Compliance with Laws
- Health, Safety and Environment
- Respect for People and Human Rights
- Teammates’ Rights
- Conducting Business with Honesty, Integrity, Fairness and Respect
- Open Door Policy
- Protection of Personal Information
- Financial Reporting
- Compliance with Antitrust and Competition laws
- Use of Confidential Information
- Company Records
- Bribery and Corruption
- Inside Information
- Conflict of Interest
- Reporting and Compliance Procedures
In addition, we have implemented comprehensive corporate policies and related standards and procedures that give specific guidelines related to the following:
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- Our Global Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy which provides strict directions regarding bribery, extortion and corruption;
- Our Competition Law and Antitrust Compliance Policy which requires that all of our operations globally comply with applicable competition laws.
Our Global Corporate Compliance Committee is responsible for implementing and maintaining a global corporate compliance program.
Our Supply Chain
Woodbridge works closely with its supply base to ensure that its principles regarding working conditions, business conduct and diversity sourcing are shared by its suppliers:
People
Woodbridge is committed to maintaining global working conditions and standards that result in dignified and respectful treatment of all Teammates within all our global operating locations, as well as those of our supply chain. Our expectations of our suppliers are clearly laid out in our Standard Terms and Conditions and our Supplier Requirements Manual. In particular, we expect that our suppliers will have appropriate policies, procedures and systems in place to support the following standards:
- Child labour shall not be utilized.
- Any form of forced or compulsory labour is prohibited.
- Workers, without fear of reprisal, intimidation or harassment should be able to communicate openly with management regarding working conditions. They shall also have the right to associate freely and join labour unions and workers’ councils in accordance with local laws.
- Workers shall be protected against any form of harassment and discrimination in any form, including but not limited to gender, sex, age, religion, disability and political beliefs.
- Workers shall have a safe and healthy workplace that meets or exceeds all applicable standards for occupational health and safety.
- Workers shall be compensated with wages and benefits that are competitive and comply with local law, including minimum wages, overtime hours and legally mandated benefits.
- Working hours shall comply with all applicable local laws regulating hours of work.
All Woodbridge suppliers are required to comply with Woodbridge’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and its Global Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy and all applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws, ordinance, rules, codes, standards and regulations.
Diversity Sourcing
We have committed to the sourcing of goods and services from minority and women-owned businesses and have established a Diversity Supplier Development Council which is charged with the responsibility of developing and administering the Diversity Supplier Development Program.
Our Diversity Supplier Development Policy states that:
“It is the policy of The Woodbridge Group to encourage opportunities for minority and women-owned business organizations in order to promote economic development. The Woodbridge Group recognizes its responsibilities to the customers that it serves and the communities in which it conducts its business. The sourcing of goods and services from minority and women-owned businesses must be a function of our routine purchasing practices at all levels of our organization. No potential supplier will be precluded from consideration on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, age or national origin. Every Woodbridge Teammate who is delegated the responsibility of either directly or indirectly expending corporate funds for the purchase of goods or services is charged with the task of adhering to this policy.”