Respect for Human Rights
Human Rights Policies
WNC complies with international regulations and local laws, including internationally recognized human rights standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct and the RBA Code of Conduct. We do not discriminate against employees based on their gender, sexual orientation, age, race, nationality, religion, marital status, or political views. In 2019, WNC released the WNC Modern Slavery Statement as the foundation of its human rights policy. To further strengthen our human rights management, WNC established and announced its WNC Human Rights Policy in 2025, extending these principles to the entire value chain, including employees, customers, suppliers, partners and subsidiaries. The Policy outline WNC’s commitments to all aspects of human rights and demonstrates how WNC protects human rights and enhances its management through training, complaint and communication mechanisms, and due diligence.
In order to implement labor rights, WNC promotes human rights concepts and related regulations during new and existing employee training and has established diverse, open, and transparent proposal and communication channels.
Human Rights Management
Human Rights Management
Regularly review risk outcomes
Formulate risk mitigation measures
Improvement and tracking
Policy and Management Organization
- Establish a human rights policy; review and update it annually and incorporate commitments to human rights protection into business policies and procedures across all business operations.
- Board of Directors and the Sustainable Development Committee under the board is the highest decision-making body of human rights management.
Identification of Risks and Related Issues
- Governmental, third party, and customer audits
- Internal and external complaint channels
- Questionnaires
- External evaluation
Identify human rights issues within the organization and the value chain based on their severity and likelihood of occurrence.
Mitigation Measures
- Policy formulation: Establish policies, management processes, and related regulations.
- Improvement on processes: Adjust operational processes and workflows.
- Training courses: Provide stakeholders with training courses to enhance their abilities and awareness.
- Early warning system: Establish early warning indicators in the management system to identify and address risks at an early stage.
Remedial Measures
- Recovery: Assist affected people in restoring their original status.
- Compensation: Provide appropriate financial or non-financial compensation.
- Disciplinary actions: Dismissal or the imposition of economic or non-economic penalties.
- Correction: Implement post-incident corrective measures to prevent recurrence.
Follow-up Management
- Units should monitor the risk inspection results and the effectiveness of mitigation and remedial measures for the human rights issues they are responsible for.
- Regularly review whether the subjects of concern have potential human rights issues and add them to the issue list.
Communication and Engagement
- Produce annual human rights management results and disclose the results on WNC’s website to ensure information transparency.
- Provide stakeholders with appropriate communication channels.
Human Rights Risk Identification
At the beginning of each year, responsible units at WNC conduct human rights risk identification based on impact level and probability in compliance with the latest international trends, the RBA Code of Conduct, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and stakeholder expectations to ensure that all risks have their corresponding management measures and that these measures are properly implemented. Medium and high-level human rights risks identified by WNC in 2024 and their mitigation measures are as follows:
| Risks | Risk Description | Risk | Policy | Management Measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Hours Management | Working overtime (more than 60 hours per week/ monthly overtime hours exceed local regulatory requirements) | High |
WNC Human Right Policy WNC Modern Slavery Statement WNC Supplier Code of Conduct |
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| Working more than seven consecutive days | Medium | |||
| Humane Treatment | Sexual harassment/assault, mental or physical coercion, verbal abuse and threats | Medium | ||
| Supplier Responsibility | Service contractor (security, cleaning and catering) not meeting RBA requirements | Medium |
Mitigation and remedial measures corresponding to human rights issues in 2024
| Subject | Human Rights Issue | Mitigation Measures | Remedial Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employees | Work hours |
System improvement
Early warning system Enhanced accuracy in predicting production capacity and material inventory status. |
Correction
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| Humane treatment |
Policy formulation Regulations on the Reporting and Handling of Workplace Harassment are established in Taiwan sites. Training and Promotion Add content about prevention of workplace harassment (including verbal abuse) in quarterly shift leader meetings and training courses for new shift leaders to raise their awareness of workplace harassment issues. |
Disciplinary Action Initiate incident investigation procedures and impose appropriate disciplinary actions. Correction
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| Service Contractors | Work hours and salary |
System improvement Each site conducts RBA audits of service contractors to identify deficiencies and risk points, including work hours and salary. |
Correction
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| Neighboring communities and environment | Air pollutionNote 1 |
Policy formulation Environmental Sustainability Policy has been established. System improvement Permit-controlled items have been listed for better management. If there are any changes in the process or raw materials, a permit modification application will be submitted in advance. |
Recovery An operating permit was obtained on September 9, 2024 (permit No.: Hsinchu Science Park Environmental Air Operation Permit No. OS346-00). Correction Permit-controlled items have been listed for better management. If there are any changes in the process or raw materials, a permit modification application will be submitted in advance. |
- Note 1: WNC obtained an installation permit in February 2023 according to our production capacity plans but the types permitted are limited. We were unable to secure the operation permit by the end of 2023, resulting in a violation of the Air Pollution Control Act and related regulations. However, WNC installed air pollution control equipment before we were regulated. All VOCs are discharged only after being treated by this equipment, ensuring no environmental pollution. We continued our construction and at the beginning of September 2024, we obtained the Stationary Pollution Source Operating Permit. Therefore, the explanations provided above only address the issues regulated by the Stationary Pollution Source Operating Permit.
Prohibition of Child Labor
The WNC does not employ workers younger than the minimum employment age stipulated by law. No WNC sites worldwide employ workers under the age of 16. The WNC Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Code of Conduct Handbook clearly prohibits the use of child labor, and the Administrative Measures for the Appointment of New Personnel and Administrative Measures for the Employment of Minor Workers stipulate that new personnel must present their ID during orientation to ensure that no employees under the age of 16 are employed. In 2024, no child labor was employed at any WNC sites.
Protection of Juvenile Workers
In accordance with the Cooperative Education Implementation in Senior High Schools and Protection of Student Participants’ Rights Act stipulated by the competent authority, when employing technicians over the age of 16 but under the age of 18, vocational training is provided to assist them in acquiring work skills, but they cannot be forced to engage in heavy and hazardous work. They cannot work at night and on holidays, and the company must comply with the regulations regarding working hours. In addition, the company must cooperate with partner schools to strengthen the management of minor workers to ensure their physical and mental development and labor rights.
In order to support the technical and vocational education system and narrow the gap between academic and practical work needs, WNC and the Private Dong Wu Senior Industrial Home Economics Vocational High School and Wan-Neng Senior Industrial and Commercial Vocational School signed long-term cooperative education contracts, arranging for students to go to WNC to learn practical operations and related professional skills. In 2024, a total of 296 students joined the WNC production line for internships, including 192 students over the age of 16 but under the age of 18.
Elimination of Forced Labor
All WNC sites follow international social standards and local regulations, including the US California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 and the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, providing employees with good working conditions and reasonable working hours. WNC does not require employees to hand over ID cards, passports or work permits. WNC respects the wishes of employees in terms of the content of the work, and all employees have the right to leave their jobs freely in accordance with the law. The WNC Supplier Code of Conduct clearly prohibits forced labor, and this code will continue to be implemented for all suppliers. Every year WNC issues a WNC Modern Slavery Statement to show that WNC and its suppliers do not have policies, management practices or related measures that involve slavery or human trafficking.
The “working-hour alarm system” and “seven straight working days notification system” automatically notifies employees and their supervisors if they work overtime or work for seven days straight. WNC also provides a monthly report on unusual working hours to supervisors at the beginning of each month to highlight anomalies in employees’ working hours and to remind supervisors to pay attention to employees’ physical and mental status. Regulations regarding overtime hours are communicated at quarterly meetings with shift leaders as well as at labor-management meetings.
Prevention of Workplace Harassment
To create a safe and harmonious workplace and protect employees from workplace harassment, including physical, linguistic, psychological abuse and sexual harassment, WNC (Taiwan) established Regulations on the Reporting and Handling of Workplace Harassment. The Human Resources Administration Division is responsible for the prevention, correction, complaint handling, and disciplinary actions of harassment in the workplace. The Division is responsible for contacting and coordinating related units within 24 hours of receiving reports. A task force consisting of personnel from the HR and legal departments and the units of the parties involved is then formed and will investigate, interview and discuss before they submit a report to the CEO. To create a safe and harmonious workplace and protect employees from workplace harassment, including physical, linguistic, psychological abuse and sexual harassment, WNC (Taiwan) established Regulations on the Reporting and Handling of Workplace Harassment. The Human Resources Administration Division is responsible for the prevention, correction, complaint handling, and disciplinary actions of harassment in the workplace. The Division is responsible for contacting and coordinating related units within 24 hours of receiving reports. A task force consisting of personnel from the HR and legal departments and the units of the parties involved is then formed and will investigate, interview and discuss before they submit a report to the CEO. During 2024, six unlawful infringement complaints were received, including four cases of workplace bullying and one case of sexual harassment at Taiwan and Vietnam sites. All cases have been closed after internal disciplinary actions were implemented.
Remedial measures include reviewing and adjusting work procedures, enhancing security monitoring facilities, increasing promotion, initiating investigation procedures, and implementing appropriate disciplinary actions. In June and November 2024, WNC launched a series of A Workplace You Can Feel Safe In activities, including training courses on workplace bullying and sexual harassment prevention for all employees, and courses for management, to help employees better understand their rights and responsibilities. In addition, we invited external experts, including Shulun Chen from the Confederation of Taipei Trade Unions and Rong Liu from the Modern Women’s Foundation, to deliver lectures. Apart from reiterating WNC’s zero-tolerance stance on workplace harassment, they also explored the meaning of workplace harassment from the practical and legal perspectives and shared preventive measures to foster a more friendly workplace.
In view of the differing cultural and administrative requirements, WNC’s sites in China and Vietnam implemented Regulations on Filing and Handling of Internal Complaints. Employees may file complaints and reports regarding various issues, such as sexual harassment, with the Human Resources Unit. The Human Resources Unit is responsible for receiving, investigating, handling, reporting, and offering feedback on all complaints. Employee representatives and the employee’s union are responsible for monitoring the methods that WNC uses to handle such complaints and reports. In 2024, neither China nor Vietnam sites received any complaints about workplace harassment.
Employee makes anonymous complaint of unlawful workplace infringement.
HR receives the complaint and investigates it.
Disciplinary action is taken and reported back to all parties involved.
Employee education and training is enhanced to create a safer work environment.
A Workplace You Can Feel Safe In
WNC introduced the “A Workplace You Can Feel Safe In” initiative at its Taiwan sites in 2021. The goal of this initiative is to create a workplace that ensures, emphasizes, promises, and protects the physical and mental wellbeing of WNC employees. Through the Five Elements of Workplace Well-Being listed here, the initiative encourages all WNC employees to work together to create a safer workplace. Every year, WNC conducts a survey in the first quarter to gather employees’ feedback on this initiative and understand their feelings. In the first quarter of 2024, the survey showed a slight increase in employees’ attention and concerns about “diversity and inclusion” and “consultation and assistance.” Therefore, WNC has implemented more supportive measures, including establishing new clubs for foreign workers, adding international cuisine options, and offering training sessions on family and daily life. In addition, to enhance employees’ awareness of the common good, we have fostered promotion through multiple communication channels. We also plan to launch the “A Workplace You Can Feel Safe In” initiative at our sites in China and Vietnam in 2025 to foster a more supportive workplace.
WNC's Five Elements of Workplace Well-Being
Communication Mechanism
WNC provides multiple open and transparent communication channels for employees. Timely communications with employees are enhanced via committees, forums, events, as well as physical and electronic mail, hotlines, and system platforms. In addition, public email addresses for stakeholder interaction and reporting of violations are provided for employees to raise questions, offer suggestions, or make complaints without fear of retaliation.
The main communication channels at Taiwan sites include the employee suggestions platform, labor-management conference, welfare committee, safety committee, and the physical suggestion box set up on production lines. The Employee Suggestions Platform was the main source of employee proposals. The proposals are sent to a dedicated unit for tracking and processing according to the proposal category. In 2024, Taiwan sites received a total of 1,445 proposals and complaints. Among the cases, 52 were from plant manager mailboxes, 1,356 from the employee suggestions platform, 32 from the email address for reporting of violations and five from the mailbox for reporting workplace harassment and sexual harassment. Management units handled these cases in confidentiality immediately after receiving complaints. All cases were assigned to responsible units according to their type and severity and were properly handled.
In 2024, to reaffirm WNC’s zero-tolerance stance on workplace harassment and to prevent workplace bullying and sexual harassment, the company established a new mailbox for reporting workplace harassment and sexual harassment ([email protected]). This provides employees worldwide with a channel to report workplace bullying and sexual harassment. The Chief Human Resource Officer is responsible for assigning HR units at each site to handle cases after receiving complaints. All cases are processed in confidentiality. For details about the process and results of handling such cases, please refer to 4.1.2. Human Rights Management in 2024 WNC Sustainability report.
All employees at the China sites are union members. Employees are considered union members upon joining the company and paying their social insurance fees, ensuring all employees equally enjoy the company’s benefits. In addition to unions, employee representative conferences are convened at least once every month. HR units have also been set up and are responsible for the management of physical suggestion boxes and 8585 employee care hotlines. The units coordinate to handle and reply to employees’ questions and suggestions.
The main communication channels at the Vietnam site are the union and physical suggestion boxes. All proposals are sent to the union for discussion, and employer representatives reply at union meetings. Meetings for different employees are also organized to facilitate the sharing of work experience and opinions among employees. To make communication between employees and managers more effective and timely, employees at the Vietnam site are considered union members after the first month of working. Union meetings have increased from once every year to once every quarter. A total of four meetings were held in 2024 and all employees at the Vietnam site are union members.
Communication channels at WNC sites ★The main channel at each site
| Communication mechanism and participants | Taiwan sites | China sites | Vietnam site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consultative organizations | All employees |
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Labor unions★ | Labor unions★ |
| Physical mailboxes | Plant manager’s mailbox★ | Suggestion box★ | Suggestion box★ | |
| System platforms | Employee Suggestions Platform★ | WeChat public platform★ | ||
| Email addresses | Plant manager’s mailbox: [email protected] | |||
| Hotlines | 8585 Employees Care Hotline★ | |||
| Forums | All employees | A Talk with the CEO forum | Employee Representative Forum★ | Employee Representative Forum |
| Production line employees | Plant manager’s/Shift manager’s/foreign employees’ forums | DL forums | Shift manager’s forums | |
| New employees |
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New operating employees' forums | ||
| Management | IDL/personnel on overseas assignment forum | Cultural experience forum for foreign managers | ||
| Complaint mechanisms | All stakeholders |
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