SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
THE REACH OUT PROGRAM
PARTNERING WITH NONPROFITS TO GIVE BACK 1%
Since 1965, we have pledged to create beautiful, functional and attainable gear for adventurers of all backgrounds, experience levels and budgets. To take this mission to the next level we are introducing Reach Out, an initiative designed to increase accessibility and participation in the outdoors.
Throughout 2022 we will be partnering with four organizations: LGBT Outdoors, SOS Outreach, Outdoor Asian and Women’s Wilderness — to address common barriers to outdoor recreation with a 1% donation of all web sales, gear donation, education and awareness-raising messaging. We are thrilled to be working with community partners who are dedicated to shaping future outdoor leaders of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Learn more about Reach Out by listening to the SheExplores Podcast featuring interviews with 2021 Reach Out Partners.
OUR 2022 REACH OUT PARTNERS
WOMEN'S WILDERNESS
Women's Wilderness envisions a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. Our mission is to support girls, women and LGBTQ+ people in accessing their power and improving their health through connections to the outdoors and community.
S0S OUTREACH
SOS Outreach changes young lives, builds character and develops leadership in youth who face risks through mentoring outdoors. Serving 3,000 youth each year, across 15 locations in 9 states, SOS provides opportunities for personal growth for the kids in our communities who need it most.
OUTDOOR ASIAN
Creating a diverse and inclusive community of Asian & Pacific Islanders in the outdoors by 1. Engaging communities with locally-based trips, outings and workshops to inspire individuals and families in the outdoors. 2. Creating a platform to lift up stories and histories of our communities to reflect on our ever-changing relationship to ecology and nature. 3. Connecting individuals to a wide-ranging network to create API leaders in the outdoor recreation and environmental sectors.
LGBT OUTDOORS
LGBT Outdoors' mission is to connect the LGBTQ+ community to the outdoors and to each other. We do this through our Ambassador Program, national LGBT Outdoorfest events, local events, and help educate the Outdoor Industry on diversity in the outdoors.
A HISTORY OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We are proud of our well-established Social Responsibility Program, having instituted our Code of Conduct in 1995, with continuous monitoring efforts for over two decades. We expect dignity and ethical treatment of all factory employees who produce our products. The cornerstone of our program’s effectiveness is based on fair but strict enforcement, understanding unique factory operations, and working successfully with supplier management to facilitate process improvements which affect our workers' quality of life..
HERE'S HOW WE'RE WORKING TO BE AS MINDFUL OF WORKERS AND PRACTICES AS WE CAN
HERE'S HOW WE'RE WORKING TO BE AS MINDFUL OF WORKERS AND PRACTICES AS WE CAN
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Rights
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Monitoring
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Improvement
Human Rights Expectations
Criteria forming the basis of our Code of Conduct include:
- Expect and maintain high Ethical Standards
- Operate under legal Working Hour requirements
- Provide all legal Wages and Benefits
- Employ no Child Labor with age documentation of all workers
- Practice Environmental Safekeeping
- Assure Health and Safety for both factory complex and dormitories
- Abide by Legal Requirements of Country law
- Employ no Prison or Forced Labor
- Engage in Non-Discriminatory Policies
- Maintain acceptable forms of Disciplinary Practices
- Allow legal rights to Freedom of Association
Rigorous Monitoring
Sierra Designs employs both an internal staff of compliance auditors and contracts independent monitors such as Bureau Veritas (BV), International Compliance Group (ICG), and UL Responsible Sourcing to conduct rigorous social compliance audits. The scope of the audits requires factories to provide detailed records including employment information, payroll and time data, and worker benefits to validate compliance. Monitoring is done on a routine and continuous basis.
Sierra Designs membership utilizes the collaborative resources of Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), a valuable database tool for tracking and analysis of compliance efforts. Together with other textile industry leaders as members, the FFC is dedicated to improving workplace conditions internationally.
Continuous Improvement
Following factory audits, any violation, no matter the severity, is documented on a Corrective Action Plan. The factory must commit to a plan of action and time-frame for correction. Follow-up monitoring is done to verify improvements are implemented and sustained. Plus, our internal audit team will counsel and train factories, advising on solutions to pending issues. Our view in developing safe and humane work environments is not merely to audit and monitor –but to train and educate for continuous improvement. This creates a long term successful relationship.
Sierra Designs accepts factories that are certified through Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP). We have found this organization’s monitoring criteria to be aligned with our goals, and factories completing WRAP certification have well-implemented human rights practices. Certified factories must undergo periodic audits by independent monitors to maintain their WRAP status.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
Exxel Outdoors’ mission is to help create memorable life experiences in the outdoors. Diversity and Inclusion is important to us as everyone should equally have access and celebrate the outdoors. They’re more than just words for us. Mutual Respect is a core value at Exxel. Creating a culture of Equality isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing. Diverse companies are more innovative and better positioned to succeed. We continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our employees and our customers.
ADDITIONAL GROUPS WE SUPPORT
In addition to Reach Out partners, we are committed to working with a number of non-profits with similar missions, as well as those of sustainability and conservation. We want to ensure that the places we love to explore will continue to be available for generations to come and to people no matter their income, background or experience.