Respecting and Upholding Human Rights at work and in our operations
At Sanofi, our dedicated workforce stands at the forefront of delivering on our commitment to patients and society. Recognizing that Sanofians are our most valuable asset, we hold unwavering dedication to upholding their rights across our global operations. We expect our business partners to mirror our commitment, respecting the rights of their own employees.
We are committed to respecting human rights in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and applicable International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions[1] throughout our activities and those of our business partners. Our commitments, detailed in our Human Rights Position Statement, comprise the following:
- We support the right of children to a childhood free of work responsibilities. We prohibit the employment of young persons under the age of 15 and that of young persons aged 15-18 for hazardous work[2].
- We strictly prohibit all forms of forced, bonded, indentured, or compulsory labor including modern slavery and human trafficking.
- We foster constructive, open and respectful dialogue with our employees and their representatives, striving to create a high-performance environment where all employees can thrive. Our Labor Relations & Social Dialogue Position Statement supports the right to associate for promoting and defending employees’ interests; and prohibits all forms of discrimination towards association.
- We comply with all applicable laws and collective agreements including those relating to working hours, overtime, maximum hour rules, meal and rest periods and paid leave. Global labor and employment standards remain responsive to local needs, maintaining adherence to the ILO Core Labor Rights Conventions and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- We create and promote a safe and healthy workplace and implement rigorous health and safety standards.
[1] Applicable ILO Conventions are : 1, 14, 29, 30, 87, 95, 98, 105, 106, 131, 138, 155, 161, 182 and 187
[2] Hazardous work include work which exposes children to physical, psychological or sexual abuse; work underground, underwater, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces; work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools or carrying heavy loads; exposure to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to health; work for long hours, night work
How we Maximize Opportunities
- By having a set of effective cross-organizational and collaborative efforts to fulfil our commitment to respect human rights at work.
- By fostering an environment that supports and encourages open social dialogue on labor issues.
- By raising awareness among our employees and business partners on human rights, our commitments and processes to assess risks and report impacts.
How we Minimize Risks
- We embed our standards on human rights at work in our overall business management system to ensure they are considered in the way we conduct business.
- We have due diligence processes in place to identify and address labor rights risks and impacts in our own operations and those of our business partners.