Renewable Energy Company

1. Our Code of Conduct

RUDRA is committed to conducting business in an ethical and legal manner that protects the environment. Our Code of Conduct references the Workplace Code of Conduct Australia.

All of our employees are expected to adhere to our Workplace Code of Conduct, that includes full time and contract employees.

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP: Shall adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights and social security laws and regulations.

NONDISCRIMINATION: No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, compensation, advancement, discipline, termination, or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, social group or ethnic origin.

HARASSMENT OR ABUSE: Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal harassment or abuse.

FORCED LABOR: There shall be no use of forced labor, including prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or other forms of forced labor.

CHILD LABOR: No person shall be employed under the age of 15 or under the age for completion of compulsory education, whichever is higher.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: Shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT: Shall provide a safe and healthy workplace setting to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of employers’ facilities. Employers shall adopt responsible measures to mitigate negative impacts that the workplace has on the environment.

HOURS OF WORK: Shall not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country where the workers are employed and shall not request overtime on a regular basis and shall compensate all overtime.

COMPENSATION: Every employee has a right to compensation for a regular work week. Shall pay at least the minimum wage or the appropriate prevailing wage, whichever is higher, comply with all legal requirements on wages, and provide any benefits required by law or contract.

2. Implementation of our Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct Communication: All our employees are communicated about implementation of our Code of Conduct, including full-time and contract employees.

Code of Conduct Compliance Benchmarks: The Compliance Benchmarks identify specific requirements for meeting compliance with each Code standard. Please refer to Appendix I below to review each benchmark and Code standard in full detail.

Management Systems: Specifically, the following policies and procedures are implemented:

● Senior management staff responsible for implementing Code of Conduct and additional policies. In addition, inductions are provided to our employees related to social compliance policies and procedures.

● Communicating Code of Conduct, communication/grievance system to all employees in a language they understand and ensure employees are aware of and knowledgeable on how to use the system.

● Up-to-date versions of applicable laws, regulations and customer requirements shall be obtained.

● Conduct regular management reviews of its social compliance system in order to identify improvement opportunities.

● Take appropriate actions to address non-conformances identified during assessments and also have preventative measures in place to avoid recurrence.

● Management systems shall undergo regular review and revisions to policies and procedures to ensure compliance with local laws, adherence to Code of Conduct, and mitigation of risks.

3. Other Policies

Environmental Responsibility: Its our expectations that all our employees respect and protect the local environment in which they operate.

Forced Labor and Responsible Recruitment: This section outlines the requirements for our recruitment and fair treatment of our employees.

Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, is a form of slavery that can include forced labor, bonded labor, prison labor, sex trafficking, and domestic servitude. RRE believes modern slavery and human trafficking are violations of human rights and we are deeply committed to doing our due diligence to minimize, detect, and remediate forced labor and human trafficking within our business. These standards apply equally to full time and contract employees.

1. Not to engage in any form of human trafficking or slavery, including not using forced or involuntary labor of any type (e.g., forced, bonded, indentured, involuntary prison labor) or illegal child labor.

2. At a minimum, comply with all applicable wage and hour laws and regulations, including those relating to minimum wages, overtime hours, piece rates, and other elements of compensation, and provide legally mandated benefits.

3. Treat all employees with respect and will not use corporal punishment, threats of violence, or other forms of physical coercion or harassment. Implement policy that prohibits inappropriate conduct and a process for employees.

● FORCED OR INVOLUNTARY LABOR: Shall not be subject to any form of forced, compulsory, bonded, indentured, or prison labor. All work must be voluntary and workers shall have the freedom to terminate their employment at any time without penalty, given notice of reasonable length.

● RECRUITMENT FEES: Shall not be charged any fees or costs for recruitment, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, including costs associated with travel, processing official documents, and work visas in both home and host countries. All costs and fees associated with recruitment, travel, and processing of employees from their home community to the workplace, including through to return when the relocation is not permanent should be covered by the employer.

● CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT: Written contracts of employment shall be provided to employees in a language they understand, clearly indicating their rights and responsibilities with regard to wages, working hours, and other working and employment conditions.

● DOCUMENT RETENTION: Withholding worker identity documents or other valuable items, including work permits/ passports, is strictly prohibited. The retention of personal documents shall not be used as a means to bind workers to employment or to restrict their freedom of movement.

● HUMANE TREATMENT: The workplace shall be free of any form of harsh or inhumane treatment. Disciplinary policies and procedures shall be clearly defined and communicated to all workers, and shall not include any inhumane disciplinary measure, including any corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion, or verbal abuse of workers; nor shall they include sanctions that result in wage deductions, reductions in benefits, or compulsory labor.

● WORKPLACE EQUALITY: All employees, irrespective of their nationality or legal status, shall be treated fairly and equally.

● WAGES AND BENEFITS: All employees shall be paid at least the minimum wage required by applicable laws, and shall be provided all legally mandated benefits. Wage payments shall be made at regular intervals and directly to workers, in accordance with national law, and shall not be delayed, deferred, or withheld. Clear and transparent information shall be provided to employees about hours worked, rates of pay, and the calculation of legal deductions. All workers must retain full and complete control over their earnings. Wage deductions must not be used as a disciplinary measure, or to keep workers tied to the employer or to their jobs.

● WORKING HOURS: Employees shall not be forced to work in excess of the number of hours permitted in national law. All overtime shall be purely voluntary, unless part of a legally recognized collective bargaining agreement.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES: The following Employee Grievance Procedure shall be implemented. 

○ A formal grievance procedure involves a thorough investigation to determine whether it can be substantiated. Investigations need to be prompt and thorough as any delay may hinder the investigation or even suggest the complaint is not being taken seriously.

○ Some appropriate steps to take in a formal investigation process are identified below.

• Confirm that the employee wants to take the formal approach. If yes, it is your obligation to investigate.

1. Interview the employee: At the commencement of the formal process, RRE should interview the employee who has expressed concern and make every effort to obtain as  much detail as possible. During the interview, the process going forward should be confirmed, and the employee informed that the grievance will be formally investigated.

2. Interview the alleged offender: RRE must ensure this process is conducted in a procedurally fair manner. It should involve sharing the allegation with the proposed offender. This person must be given the opportunity to respond – this could either be denying the allegations or explaining other circumstances. Even if the alleged accepts the allegations the investigation must be continued to get all the corroborating evidence.

3. Obtain additional evidence: RRE should try to obtain any other relevant facts concerning the complaint. This may involve interviewing witnesses and examining evidence such as email chains.

4. Maintain confidentiality of the process: It is crucial that throughout the process, all parties are instructed to treat the process as confidential and advised not to discuss it with other colleagues.

5. Both parties should be notified that the grievance procedure has been followed and provided with an outcome letter. For instance, the letter to the alleged if the allegations have been substantiated through the evidence would stipulate this.

6. Once the investigation has been finalised then RRE can action next steps such as disciplinary if relevant.