Ethical Trading

Supplier Code of Ethics

Sysco is committed to maintaining the highest legal, moral and ethical standards of honesty, integrity and fairness in the conduct of our business. In order to meet this standard, we require each of our suppliers and their facilities to operate and act in full compliance with our ethical code, as well as with all applicable laws and regulations. This code also applies to affiliates and subcontractors of suppliers and to their respective facilities, to the extent that those facilities supply goods for sale to Sysco.

Our Supplier Code of Ethics complements our Corporate Code of Conduct, which can be summarised as “do the right thing”.

1. Legal Requirements: our suppliers must comply with all applicable national, state or regional, and local laws and regulations in the countries in which they operate.

2. Limitations on gifts and gratuities: to maintain high ethical standards and to avoid the appearance of impropriety, Sysco directors, officers and employees will not give or receive payments or gifts in exchange for business opportunities with customers, vendors, suppliers, governmental entities or other employees.

3. Human rights: Sysco will only initiate and renew contractual relationships with suppliers that do not violate basic human rights, as defined in the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights, the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

4. Child Labour: Sysco’ suppliers must comply with International Labour Organisation Core Convention No. 138, which generally does not permit children under the age of 15, or 14 in less developed countries, with certain exceptions, to work in any occupation.

5. Freedom Of Association: our suppliers must comply with all applicable local laws and regulations that govern Freedom of Association in the country in which they operate.

6. Forced Labour/Physical Coercion: Sysco will not knowingly work with any supplier that uses forced, bonded, indentured or slave labour, nor will we knowingly tolerate the use of physical or mental coercion or corporal punishment.

7. Wages and Benefits: Our intention is to do business only with suppliers who comply with minimum wage and overtime requirements.  In countries that set a maximum work week, suppliers must comply with such requirements.

8. Discrimination: Sysco’ suppliers must not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality or political beliefs.

9. Health and Safety: Sysco requires that all supplier facilities where goods are produced must provide a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

10. Environment: Sysco has a commitment to the communities in which it operates and a responsibility for the environments we impact. We seek to work with suppliers that share this commitment.

11. Confidentiality: Every Sysco supplier must maintain strict confidentiality with regard to any company or customer information they are entrusted with.

If a supplier violates this code, either generally or with respect to a particular supplier facility, Sysco may either terminate its business relationship, generally or with the affected facility, or may require the affected facility to implement a corrective action plan.