United Nations Global Compact
The United National Global Compact is a pact to encourage businesses across the globe to adopt socially responsible business practices and to report on the advances of these implementations. There are ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact that comprise the following issues: human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. BraunAbility is proud to release an annual Communication on Progress that impacts the fields of business strategy, culture, and daily operations.
Human Rights
Assessment, Policy, and Goals:
The core purpose of our business, mobility transportation products for persons with physical disabilities, supports and enhances human rights, as our products provide mobility and independence to wheelchair users around the globe, changing their lives for the better. In 2019, BraunAbility initiated a global movement for accessibility and independence for those living with mobility challenges and their caregivers. Named “Drive for Inclusion,” the goal is to build a more mobility-inclusive society that makes it possible for people of all ability levels to fully contribute to the world around them. BraunAbility has invited anyone living with a mobility challenge, including caregivers, to join its online survey community, called “The Driving Force,” to unite voices and take action for mobility inclusion.
Implementation:
- Formed an Advisory Board made up of individuals from the disability community to guide the efforts of Drive for Inclusion and ensure that our actions and efforts are supported by the people we serve.
- Recruited individuals with mobility challenges and their caregivers to join The Driving Force and take an inclusion survey to help us measure the state of inclusion in society today.
- Because there is no inclusion without access, we introduced the first-ever 3D access aisle to help prevent accessible parking abuse and preserve the extra space for those who need an access aisle to enter and exit their vehicles. The 3D access aisle creates the illusion of floating lines as obstructions to prevent vehicles from parking in that space.
- BraunAbility announced a commitment to recruit individuals with disabilities as a part of their employment efforts in conjunction with the opening of a new global headquarters and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Measurement of Outcomes:
- Over 1500 individuals with mobility challenges or their caregivers have joined The Driving Force to date, and 20% of participants have completed our State of Inclusion Survey, to be
published in May of 2020 during National Mobility Awareness Month. - To date, 21 locations across the country have implemented 3D access aisles at their businesses, including BraunAbility mobility dealers and global corporate partners like Chrysler and Microsoft.
- To support the recruitment of individuals with mobility challenges to BraunAbility, the new global headquarters was designed with input from individuals with physical disabilities and features a variety of elements to make the space accessible and accommodating for employees of all abilities.
Labor
Assessment, Policy, Goals:
Both our BraunAbility Code of Conduct and Partner & Supplier Code of Conduct highlight our commitment to the elimination of all forms of compulsory and child labor. In addition, our Employee Handbook makes clear that BraunAbility is an “employer at will”, meaning employees have the right to leave their employment at any time.
In addition, our Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct include the right to collective bargaining, and the Employee Handbook also includes several prohibitions with respect to discrimination, including a commitment to a workplace free of all types of harassment and discrimination, as well as a zero-tolerance policy regarding workplace violence.
In 2019 our focus was on workplace diversity, specifically with regard to increasing our employment of people with disabilities. BraunAbility has always had an outward focus given the products and population served and now has turned that focus on disabilities inward to the employee base.
Implementation:
BraunAbility formed a team in early 2019 to specifically address increasing the number of employees hired with disabilities. This team made contact with employment referral sources throughout Indiana, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and universities; and also invited these referral sources to tour BraunAbility’s facilities and better understand the various career opportunities available.
Measurement of Outcomes:
- Career opportunities are sent directly to all referral sources to proactively target disability candidates. This listing of referral sources includes approximately 20 organizations.
- BraunAbility became a host company for an intern program run by Eskenazi Health, which is a program specifically designed for college students with physical disabilities to ensure they obtain practical work experience while pursuing their degree. The goal is to put these students in a more equal and competitive position with their non-disabled counterparts with regard to job experience.
Environment
Assessment, Policy, Goals:
As part of our 2019 corporate compliance program, we were successful in maintaining our ISO 14001:2015 Certification. We reassessed our environmental aspects, impacts, and risks and found no change from 2018. Therefore, we continued with four reduction goals that aimed for 5% reduction from 2018 on a per unit basis in the following areas: water consumption, waste disposal, electrical consumption, and natural gas consumption. Along with establishment of these reduction goals, reduction plans were developed and monitored monthly to track our progress.
Implementation:
The reduction plans are managed by various members of management and implemented in multiple areas around the BraunAbility campus. Reduction targets are reviewed on a monthly basis and changes to reduction plans occur as necessary. Environmental awareness among our employees through shop talks, newsletters, training sessions, and companywide announcements on our corporate video bulletin board continued in 2019.
Measurement of Outcomes:
- Completed an Environmental Legal Compliance Audit and were found to be in compliance
- Completed a management review of our Environmental Management System
- Maintained our ISO 14001:2015 Certification
- 5% reduction targets for 2018 were achieved
- Engaged a new recycling partner to assist in implementing a plan that will eliminate roughly 40 tons of trash from the landfill in 2019.
Anti-Corruption
Assessment, Policy, Goals:
In 2019, BraunAbility revised its trade restrictions procedure to require a bi-annual screening of all international entities and individuals BraunAbility conducts business with to ensure good trade standing. The revised procedure now also requires a search on the European Union’s Sanctions Map.
BraunAbility also has an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy and procedure, in which BraunAbility commits to conducting business in compliance with all laws and regulations. This procedure requires reporting of gifts given and received by BraunAbility employees, the input of which is monitored by management, in addition to preclearance procedures when giving gifts or other items of value. This procedure also addresses the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and UK Bribery Act.
In addition, over the past year BraunAbility expanded its anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy and procedure and trade restrictions procedure into its European subsidiary.
Implementation:
Anti-corruption training was provided at a sales department annual meeting and key principles and requirements of the company’s procedure were discussed during an annual strategic meeting. Educational posters on anti-corruption were also periodically displayed throughout our campus.
Employee gift reports are reviewed by top management quarterly and a whistleblower reporting system is available to all employees.
BraunAbility extended its whistleblower hotline into all BraunAbility owned companies and made the reporting information publicly available on the BraunAbility website.
Measurement of Outcomes:
- Anti-corruption was an agenda topic at two company meetings.
- A bi-annual screening of our international customers list was conducted.
- Quarterly reporting and tracking of all gifts given and received.
- A whistleblower hotline is in place at our five subsidiaries.
