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 order to implement labor rights, apart from promoting human rights concepts and related regulations during new and existing employee training, we have established diverse, open, and transparent proposal and communication channels. We also review our performance on issues such as the prevention of child labor and minor workers, forced labor, sexual harassment, labor-management communications, and freedom of expression. In 2019, WNC released the WNC Modern Slavery Statement as the foundation of its human rights policy. The statement is reviewed and updated annually, showing our commitment that WNC and our suppliers respect and safeguard human rights and do not have policies, management practices or related measures that involve slavery or human trafficking.
Human Rights Management
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 2023 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) | High | WNC Modern Slavery Statement |
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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 | ||
| Freedom to choose employment | Charging foreign migrant workers employment fees | Medium |
| Risks | Mitigation Measures | Remedial Measures | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training Courses/Awareness Programs | Management | System Adjustment | Remedies | Disciplinary Actions | |
| Working hours management | All new employees are required to complete the WNC Introduction to RBA course to ensure that employees and supervisors are fully aware of regulations about working hours. | Set up working-hour alarm in the employee management system, and a monthly review mechanism. Establish multiple communication channels for employees to speak out. | Check manpower needs weekly, and establish channels to supplement manpower. | Upon receiving notifications of anomalies in an employee’s working hours, the HR department contacts the employee’s unit and provides assistance. | If a violation of the rule is identified during a monthly working hour inspection, the unit head is required to provide explanations and remedial measures. |
| Produce accurate production forecasts, regularly analyze industry trends, and check manpower demand. | With the working-hour alarm system, the HR department can keep track of employees’ working hours and remind them of taking some rest. | ||||
| Humane treatment |
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Regularly review and revise preventive measures against workplace harassment at all sites and related guidelines about complaints, disciplinary actions and protection of complainants. |
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Disciplinary actions are imposed on offenders according to related company regulations based on accountability and severity. |
| Freedom to choose employment | WNC has signed contracts with legally registered recruitment agencies for hiring foreign workers, and migrant workers are required to sign a labor contract before coming to Taiwan. In addition, we ensure that newly hired migrant laborers fully understand the provisions of their labor contract before they sign them. | Foreign migrant workers can pose questions in a timely manner through asking supervisors, mailing to the plant manager’s mailbox, and posting on DL self-service platforms. |
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Foreign migrant workers can raise doubts to human resource units. If issues with fees are confirmed, the fees will be refunded within 90 days of entry to Taiwan. | If recruitment agencies are found to violate any rules or policies, they are required to remediate the issues before a specified deadline. These violations are also included in WNC’s agency assessment. |
Prohibition of Child Labor
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 shall present their ID during orientation to ensure that no employees under the age of 16 are employed. In 2023, no child labor was employed at any WNC site.
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 on working hours. In addition, the Company must cooperate with the 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 2023, a total of 319 students joined the WNC production line for internships, including 126 workers 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 punishment 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 and the units of the involved parties is then formed and will investigate, interview and discuss before they submit a report to the CEO.
During 2023, 18 unlawful infringement complaints were received, including eight cases of workplace bullying and ten cases of sexual harassment. All cases have been closed after internal disciplinary actions were implemented. Remedial measures include reviewing and adjusting work procedures, avoiding contact between the parties in the workplace, and enhancing security monitoring facilities. In July 2023, a mandatory training course was launched, with the content focusing on prevention of workplace bullying and sexual harassment. In the course, scenarios were introduced to help raise awareness of unlawful infringement issues in workplace among employees and managers. In addition, we have invited a famous lawyer, Angela Lai, to give a lecture on sexual harassment and handling procedures and on how to create a safe 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 handling, investigating, and offering feedback on all complaints. Employee representatives and the employee union are responsible for monitoring the methods that WNC use to handle such complaints and reports. In 2023, neither China nor Vietnam sites received any complaints.
Employee makes anonymous complaint of unlawful workplace harassment.
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 safe work environment.
Communication Mechanism
WNC provides open and transparent suggestion and 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 2023, Taiwan sites received a total of 1,337 proposals and complaints. Among the cases, 79 were from plant managers’ mailboxes, 1,210 from the employee suggestions platform, and 48 from the email address for reporting of violations. Management units handled these cases in confidentiality immediately after receiving the complaints. All cases were assigned to responsible units according to their type and severity and were properly handled. Among these cases, 18 cases were categorized as workplace misconduct, all of which were substantiated after investigation, and five cases were categorized as integrity violations, two of which were substantiated after investigation. Regarding the handling procedures and results of workplace misconduct and integrity violations, please refer to 4.1.2 Human Rights Management and 1.3.2 Grievance and Consultation Mechanisms in this report for more details.
In WNC’s China sites, unions have been established and employee representative conferences are convened at least once every month. In addition, the HR units have set up and are responsible for the management of physical suggestion boxes and employee care hotlines. The units coordinate to handle and reply to employees’ questions and suggestions. WNC (Kunshan) Corporation has also created a WeChat public platform where the Company can share activity information and provide online consultation.
In Vietnam, the main communication channels are the union and physical suggestion boxes. All proposals are forwarded to the union for discussion, and management responds through the union. Additionally, seminars are held for different groups to share work experiences and facilitate communication of opinions with employees. To enhance the efficiency and immediacy of employee communications, starting in 2024 union meetings are now held quarterly (originally annual).
In 2024, in support of its “zero tolerance” stance towards workplace harassment, WNC introduced a dedicated “Workplace Harassment and Sexual Harassment Complaint Inbox” (8585@wnc.com.tw). This provides employees across all sites with a means to report cases of workplace harassment and bullying. These complaints, upon receipt by the CHRO, are assigned to the respective HR management units at each site for investigation. All processes follow strict confidentiality principles. Through diversified communication channels, we aim to create an inclusive and equitable workplace for all employees.
Communication Mechanism ★The main channel at each site
| Communication Mechanism | 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: wecare@wnc.com.tw | |||
| 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 | Shift manager’s forums | ||
| New employees |
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| Management | Section level/foreign employees’ forums | |||
| Complaint mechanisms | All stakeholders |
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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.
WNC’s Five Elements of Workplace Well-Being
- Common good of WNC employees: implement measures to prevent workplace harassment and provide easy-to-use communication channels for employees.
- Safety & Health: ensure food safety, environmental sanitation, and occupational safety and health
- Healthcare: protect employees’ health by providing occupational injury and maternity care services and conducting follow-up health checks
- Consultation & Assistance: provide consultation and resource sharing services to help solve employees’ problems
- Diversity and Equality: embrace diversity and uphold equality
