Fraser Hart
Corporate & Social Responsibility
Corporate and Social Responsibility in Fraser Hart
Fraser Hart is a large company, with over 450 employees operating the length and breadth of the UK. As such we are a major contributor to the UK economy. We are very aware that our responsibilities extend beyond the transactional.
Our vision is “To Be At The Heart Of Every Celebration” and our values - the behaviours we exhibit at all times - help us achieve that vision. Our principles and ethics for doing business are in accordance with our vision, values and goals.
Our approach to Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) can be broken down into a number of areas:
- The marketplace
- Our environmental responsibilities
- Our workplaces
- Our responsibilities to the community
The marketplace
Our reputation in the marketplace is hard-earned and very important to us. We will not allow it to be compromised for short-term gain.
We believe in an ethical supply chain:
- We do not purchase from unapproved distributors and will not knowingly supply goods that are produced in inhuman factory conditions.
- We have particular responsibilities when it comes the sourcing of gold and diamonds. Fraser Hart explicitly stipulates to our suppliers that they must use all available means to source their product ethically.
Diamonds:
- We subscribe to the Kimberley Process www.kimberleyprocess.com (KP) which is a joint initiative between governments, industry and society to restrict the flow of conflict diamonds used to finance wars against legitimate governments.
- It uses traceability systems to ensure that rough diamonds are shipped via tamper-proof methods and are government-certified as conflict-free. Shipments that lack certification will be rejected or impounded. The diamonds are further certified as compliant as they continue their journey to market.
- We insist that all our diamond and diamond jewellery suppliers have signed up to the Kimberley process and make a statement to this effect on their supply documentation.
- We in turn warrant that all diamonds we sell come from suppliers that adhere to the Kimberley Process
Gold:
There is no scientific test available to us to determine the exact origin of fine gold, so we cannot give an absolute guarantee that our gold came from an ethical source. However do whatever we can to ensure we buy ‘Clean Gold’.
Fraser Hart was an early supporter of the “Unearth Justice” campaign, which is run by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD). This initiative has the support of many leading retailers and has developed a code of ethics called “The Golden Rules.” The Golden Rules call on mining companies to meet the following basic standards in their operation:
- Respect for basic human rights outlines in international conventions and law
- Free, prior and informed consent of affected communities
- Safe working conditions
- Respect for workers’ rights and labour standards (including the eight core ILO conventions)
- Ensure that operations are not located in areas of armed or militarised conflicts
- Ensure that projects do not force communities off their lands
- No dumping of mine waste into the ocean, river, lakes or streams
- Ensure that projects are not located in protected areas, fragile ecosystems or other areas of high conservation or ecological value
- Ensure that projects do not generate sulphuric acid in perpetuity
- Cover all costs of closing down and cleaning up mine sites
- Fully disclose information about social environmental effects on projects
- Allow independent verification of the above
The above guiding principles would ensure that basic human rights, that we possibly take for granted, are upheld whilst also ensuring that our environment is protected.
We fully support the aims behind the CAFOD campaign and we ask our suppliers to confirm their awareness and ultimate compliance with this code.
Our environmental responsibilities
At Fraser Hart we appreciate and understand our environmental responsibilities.
Apart from managing our own environmental footprint and meeting the environmental legislation that relates to Fraser Hart, we aspire to being industry defining in this area.
Our current initiatives include:
- Working with our suppliers to develop energy efficient lighting systems
- Ensuring energy efficiency is a key aspect of all our store refurbishments and builds
- All timber products used in our new stores and refits are FSC sourced
- As we recycle our fleet, ensuring that we select cars that reduce our carbon footprint
The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (“WEEE”) has the purpose of promoting the recycling of electrical goods whenever possible. As retailers, should a client purchase a battery-powered product from us, for example a battery-powered watch, we will take back a similar product should the customer have one. Should they prefer, the customer can recycle it themselves at their local recycling facility.
The “crossed-out wheeled bin" symbol indicates that a product can be recycled.
Our workplaces
The workplace – be it in our stores, in our offices – is the engine room of Fraser Hart.
We are committed to making our workplaces industry defining. Our relationship with each other and our employees is governed by our adherence to our vision and values.
- Employee rewards:
- We reward performance that meets our vision, values and goals
- We do not discount salaries or rewards on the basis of age
- Diversity in the workplace:
- Our recruitment policies ensure that we do not discriminate on social, ethnic, gender, religious or other grounds.
- Health and safety: The health, safety and welfare at work of our employees is very important to us and we demonstrate this through compliance with health and safety standards set out in the relevant legislation.
Our responsibility to the community
Community support is an important aspect of the Fraser Hart business. The communities that we serve are also
- the communities where we live, and
- the communities that support us
It is our aspiration to use our skills and resources to benefit the communities where we live, work and do business. Because we are a nationwide organisation, our efforts will need to be structured, yet diverse and flexible. Consequently we focus our efforts on several general areas with a view to ensuring local emphasis.
To this end, we will base our community support on our employees’ initiatives, rather than responding to direct requests for financial support. We will support our employees' giving through a gift contribution program. Employees may apply for a grant to qualifying charities, to support their own donation.
As noted above, we support the work of CAFOD, the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales. CAFOD operates in more than 40 countries across the world bringing hope, compassion and solidarity to poor communities and working to end poverty and injustice.
We do not donate to political parties.