Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

The Policy of the company "Michail Arabatzis S.A. Industrial And Commercial Food company" with the distinctive title "HELLENIC DOUGH" is in accordance with the values of responsibility, integrity, transparency, innovation, compliance with the provisions of the general legislation as well as the  requirements of the  International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention, the UN Human Rights Convention and the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of the Child.

Our company, in the context of the above and the principles of corporate social responsibility, declares that:

Equality  

It promotes equal employment opportunities based on the principles of equality, impartiality and the formal and substantive qualifications required for each employment position.

Discrimination 

It does not advocate discrimination in recruitment, payment, promotion, access to education, dismissal or retirement, based on race, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, trade union membership, political opinions, age or any other situation that could lead to discrimination. It does not take into account factors specified to individuals and irrelevant to work, as they may be considered discriminatory. The company complies with the applicable laws regarding the record keeping for the employees and the personal records.  

Harassment 

No employee shall be subjected to physical, sexual, racial, psychological, verbal or any other form of harassment or violence. The Company has procedures in place to identify problems in the implementation of this standard and to confront them immediately and effectively. It encourages all employees to communicate with the Management about any possible such behavior and takes strict measures to deal immediately and effectively with such situations.

Child labor 

Our company opposes and does not support the use of child labor. We will not hire or employ in any way, a person under the age of eighteen and in general our company fully complies with Greek law, EU legislation, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention, as well as with the UN Human Rights Convention and the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The strict enforcement of this policy prevents child labor in our business. However, despite the strict precautionary measures we apply, in case child labor is detected, we will immediately stop it and take supportive action towards the child.  Also, child labor cannot be accepted by customers or suppliers of our company and if such a customer or supplier is identified, our company will immediately make a recommendation to him to stop it, otherwise in case of non-compliance, it will terminate cooperation with him.

Forced labor 

Our company opposes and does not support forced or compulsory labor and we will not engage in forced or compulsory labor in any of our activities.        

Working environment and working conditions  

It provides a safe working environment, taking appropriate measures to avoid accidents, employing experienced, specialized and continuously trained personnel, in compliance with the provisions of the legislation on safety and hygiene regarding the provision of work. It treats its personnel with dignity and respect, it respects the working hours, the public holidays, the basic remuneration and  the benefits of its employees,  the law provisions on rest and leave of the employees and in general all the provisions of the labor legislation, as well as it provides incentives for development and continuous training. It treats all its employees with dignity and respect and does not allow physical or verbal violence as well as any other delinquent behavior, making sure that in case anything relevant happens, all the legal actions will be carried out. It enables all employees, through the occupational doctor, the safety technician, the special form "Suggestions for Improvement" and the report form, to formulate any problem in their work.

Safety in the workplace

The company's policy is to create and provide a safe working environment for all its employees. To protect the health and the safety of its employees and the communities in which it operates, it follows clear practices (DD-3.5 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY). For the avoidance of accidents are responsible all the involved, both the Management, the managers, the supervisors and the employees themselves. The managers and the supervisors are directly responsible for the continuous effort to avoid accidents with effective control and guidance of the employees. The employees are responsible for the proper observance of the safety rules and the proper use of the personal protective equipment provided to them. The Management encourages employees to participate in the continuous process of improving working conditions in terms of safety and ergonomics, reporting any unsafe condition they encounter and relevant suggestions for improvement.

Anti-Corruption 

Our company prohibits the bribery of public or government officials. "Public and government officials" are the employees of any government in the world, even low-ranking officials or employees of state-controlled bodies. The term "Public and government officials" also includes political parties and politicians standing in elections.  The company has an obligation to inform the managers, as well as the persons responsible for it, through the legal affairs department, of understanding the legal requirements and the policy on bribery.

Right of association 

We respect the uniqueness of our employees as individuals, while we encourage collaborations resulting from teamwork, both at country level and more broadly at organization level. We respect the right of employees to be or not to be members of trade unions, and to meet with representatives of the Company on issues of common interest and in general our company adheres to the provisions of legislation on the  rights of the employees, the right of association and the collective bargaining right.

Environmental policy

It carries out its activities trying to minimize the impact on the environment by protecting natural resources. For this reason, it requires the operation of facilities and the carrying out of the operations in accordance with the applicable environmental legislation, the regulations and the environmental permits, including those governing the control, transportation, storage and disposal of controlled materials, such as waste water, solid waste and hazardous waste. It also develops and implements new procedures for controlling and saving resources and energy.

Social contribution

It carries out actions to offer and support the local community and the public structures.

Responsibilities of the officers and employees

All the directors, officers and employees of the company must know, understand and work always promoting compliance with the defined policies of the company. The respect of the law is a basic principle and requirement. The company employees, of all degrees of responsibility, must not exhibit behaviors or actions that may damage the company's reputation. 

Personal activities and relationships must not conflict with the interests of the company. All the employees have the obligation to protect the assets and resources of the company and also to exercise caution when using any kind of company assets such as machinery, vehicles and computers and to draw the attention of their supervisor in cases of waste, damage, destruction or theft of corporate assets. The assets of the company are intended for corporate and not personal use. The company does not attempt to gain competitive advantages through illegal or unethical business practices. It is important the employees, the senior management and the managers to treat honestly and with integrity to the people and the organisations with whom they deal. Moves that may give the impression of improper influence should be avoided. Personal financial transactions with customers and suppliers, which may affect the ability to perform tasks, should also be avoided. Under no circumstances should cash or any other equivalent gift be offered to natural persons who have or wish to have transactions with the company. It is expressly forbidden to accept cash or any other equivalent gift. Gifts and invitations offered by customers and suppliers must serve the legitimate interests of the company, be reasonable and appropriate to the circumstances. The company prohibits bribing public or government officials directly or through third parties for any reason. For any financial transaction with public or government officials that may involve a degree of doubt must be preceded by advice from the legal counsel of the company. All the employees have the obligation to protect the confidential information of the company. Such information may be financial and technical data, plans for company acquisitions or divestiture of activities, new products, inventions or advertising campaigns, employees’ personal data, important contracts, expansion plans, financial transactions, significant administrative changes and information on the development of the company. This information may not be neither forwarded to anyone outside the company, including the members of the employee's family and friends circle, nor transferred to third parties after the employee's departure from the company, as they are an asset of the company. In some cases where there is ambiguity or the employee is not sure what to do, the employee should seek for guidance. The company encourages all employees to seek for guidance in cases where there is doubt about the proper handling of any situation they may face. Guidance, advice and instructions may be given by the supervisors, department managers, general management and the legal counsel of the company, depending on the issue that requires clarification or special handling.

      The above Policy on Corporate Social Responsibility applies at all stages of the production and distribution of our products and in all areas of the Company's activity.