Human Rights
As reflected in our Code of Conduct and Guiding
Principles, Kimball Electronics is committed to
the highest standards of conduct in our business
dealings. We are a human-centered company. For
us, human rights are more than just being compliant,
they are about doing the right thing. Our Guiding
Principles outline the critical role Kimball Electronics
plays as a corporate citizen for our customers, our
people, our partners, our environment, and our
communities. Our human rights beliefs are deeply
rooted in our Guiding Principles.
Above: Our Tampa employee Kiki Berry (center) celebrates Mother’s Day with her coworkers. Kiki was a guest speaker during a company-wide
Asian American and Pacific Islander Month event. She shared her personal story about immigrating from China and discussed her
career growth within Kimball Electronics. In 2021, Kiki was promoted to the role of Associate Quality Engineer. We champion career
development planning for all employees.
We believe in the inherent value of all
individuals and their inalienable rights
and acknowledge the risks of specific
impacts to particularly vulnerable
segments of society, including minorities,
women, and indigenous peoples. We
respect internationally recognized human
rights principles and our policies are
derived from principles such as those
defined in the United Nations’ Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the
two International Covenants making up
the International Bill of Human Rights;
the United Nations’ Guiding Principles
on Business and Human Rights; the
International Labor Organization’s (ILO)
Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work; the OECD Guidelines
for Multinational Enterprises; the Ten
Principles of the United Nations Global
Compact, and the guidance provided
by ISO 26000. We believe that no
company should prosper while violating
the basic human rights of others whether
through unlawful slavery, servitude,
forced or compulsory labor, or otherwise
exploitative means.
Above: In 2021, we donated $5,000 to Water To Thrive to support a water relief project serving a rural village in Ethiopia. Stated our Chairman and CEO Don Charron, “Safe, fresh drinking water should be a basic human right for all, but sadly, it is not. This goes beyond just providing a safe water source. The wells also have a role in delivering gender equality, physical safety, female empowerment and sustainability.” (Photo courtesy of Water To Thrive.)
- To raise awareness of our commitment to human rights, we train all of our employees worldwide on human
rights issues annually.
- In recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January, we provided information to employees to promote awareness and prevention of human trafficking.
- Any person or entity that engages in prohibited discrimination, harassment, or abuse is subject to discipline, up to and including immediate termination of the relationship with Kimball Electronics. This policy applies to conduct on Kimball Electronics premises and in the course of its business, as well as off-premises conduct that affects any employee in the workplace or that creates a hostile working environment.
- We support and comply with child and compulsory labor laws worldwide. We do not accept or condone any aspect of forced or unlawful child labor, or of human trafficking. In accordance with conventions of the ILO, we do not make use of forced, bonded, or child labor to manufacture or assemble products. In this context, a “child” is defined as a person younger than any of the following: the age of 16, the age for completing compulsory education in their country, or the minimum age for employment in their country.
- Many of our customers’ products are regulated by laws that are created to protect the environment and to prevent human health issues, the profiting of armed groups, and child labor. Our Product Compliance team helps our customers ensure that their products meet important product compliance requirements, including Conflict Minerals, REACH, RoHS, California Proposition 65, and more.
- The right to water is a fundamental human right. Kimball Electronics works toward understanding and applying sound practices for land and water use consistent with emerging international practices while considering the impact of its global activities on water stress (defined as lack of quantity, quality, and accessibility of water). Kimball Electronics strives to respect human rights in support of our environmental management policies and goals.
- We report any conduct that could reasonably be believed to be evidence of violations of our Human Rights Policy to management for further investigation. We are pleased that since our last report, zero forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, bribery, corruption, anti-competitive acts (including false/deceptive marketing practices), or other priority non-conformance incidents (including labor, health and safety, and compliance with our Global Supplier Quality Manual and Code of Conduct) were reported to management and zero were forwarded to local authorities or, if appropriate, to a human rights organization for further investigation.
