The University of Connecticut (“UConn”) has a longstanding commitment to the protection and advancement of socially responsible practices that reflect respect for fundamental human rights and the dignity of all people. UConn strives to promote basic human rights and appropriate labor standards for all people throughout its supply chain. Promoting these values in concrete practice is the central charge of the President’s Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (http://csr.uconn.edu/).

UConn is also committed to  building a safe, healthy and sustainable environment through the conservation of natural resources, increasing its use of environmentally responsible products, materials and services (including renewable resources), and preventing pollution and minimizing waste through reduction, reuse and recycling. UConn is proactive about purchasing products that have these environmental attributes or meet recognized environmental standards, when practicable, and buying from entities committed to the support of campus sustainability goals.  The University seeks to partner and contract with vendors that demonstrate a similar commitment to these values. Selected vendors may be required to provide a comprehensive summary report of their corporate social and environmental practices.

Principal Expectations

The principal expectations set forth below reflect the minimal standards UConn’s vendors are required to meet.

Nondiscrimination. It is expected that vendors will not discriminate in hiring, employment, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, nationality, ethnicity, alienage, age, disability or marital status, and will comply with all federal nondiscrimination laws and state nondiscrimination laws[1], including Chapter 814c of the Connecticut General Statutes (Human Rights and Opportunities), as applicable, and further will provide equal employment opportunity irrespective of such characteristics, including complying, if applicable, with Federal Executive Order 1124b, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining. It is expected that vendors will respect their employees’ rights of free association and collective bargaining, including, if applicable, complying with the National Labor Relations Act, and, if applicable, Chapters 561 and 562 of the Connecticut General Statutes (Labor Relations Act, Labor Disputes) and Chapters 67 and 68 of the Connecticut General Statutes (State Personnel Act, Collective Bargaining for State Employees).

Labor Standard Regarding Wages, Hours, Leaves and Child Labor. It is expected that vendors will respect their employees’ rights regarding minimum and prevailing wages, payment of wages, maximum hours and overtime, legally mandated family, child birth and medical leaves, and return to work thereafter, and limitations on child labor, including, if applicable, the rights set forth in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act, the Federal Davis-Bacon Act and Chapters 557 and 558 of the Connecticut General Statutes (Employment Regulation, Wages).

Health and Safety. It is expected that vendors will provide safe and healthful working and training environments in order to prevent accidents and injury to health, including reproductive health, arising out of or related to or occurring during the course of the work vendors perform or resulting from the operation of vendors’ facilities. Accordingly, it is expected that vendors and their subcontractors will perform work pursuant to UConn contracts in compliance with, as applicable, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and Chapter 571 of the Connecticut General Statutes (Occupational Safety and Health Act).

Forced Labor. It is expected that vendors will not use or purchase supplies or materials that are produced using any illegal form of forced labor.

Harassment or Abuse. It is expected that vendors will treat all employees with dignity and respect, and that no employee will be subjected to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal abuse or harassment.  It is further expected that vendors will not use or tolerate the use of any form of corporal punishment.

Environmental Compliance. It is expected that vendors will comply with all applicable federal and state environmental laws and Executive Orders, including but not limited to Titles 22a and 25 of the Connecticut General Statutes (Environmental Protection and Water Resources protection) and Executive Order 14 (concerning safe cleaning products and services). UConn expects vendors will employ environmentally responsible practices in the provision of their products and services.

Preferential Standards

The preferential standards set forth below reflect UConn’s core values. UConn will seek to uphold these values by considering them as relevant factors in selecting vendors.

Living Wages. UConn recognizes and affirms that reasonable living wages are vital to ensuring that the essential needs of employees and their families can be met, and that such needs include basic food, shelter, clothing, health care, education and transportation.  UConn seeks to do business with vendors that provide living wages so as to meet these basic needs, and further recognizes that compensation may need to be periodically adjusted to ensure maintenance of such living wages.  Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate that they pay such living wages.

International Human Rights. For UConn, respect for human rights is a core value.  UConn seeks to do business with vendors who do not contribute to or benefit from systemic violations of recognized international human rights and labor standards, as exemplified by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Foreign Law. UConn encourages vendors and vendors’ suppliers operating under foreign law to comply with those foreign laws that address the subject matters of this code, provided such foreign laws are consistent with this code. Vendors and their suppliers operating under foreign law are similarly encouraged to comply with the provisions of this code to the extent they can do so without violating the foreign law(s) they operate under.

Environmental Sustainability. UConn will prefer products and services that conserve resources, save energy and use safer chemicals, such as recycled, recyclable, reusable, energy efficient, carbon-neutral, organic, biodegradable or plant-based, in addition to products that are durable and easily reparable, and that meet relevant certification standards above and beyond those required by law. While UConn is not legally bound to comply with Connecticut General Statutes 4a-67a through 4a-67h concerning environmental sustainability standards in purchasing, it will nevertheless consider vendors’ ability to meet those standards in rendering its purchasing decisions. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Compliance Procedures

Anyone who believes a vendor doing business with UConn has not complied or is not complying with this code may contact the University’s REPORTLINE at 1-888-685-2637 or https://uconncares.alertline.com/gcs/welcome.  The REPORTLINE is operated by a private (non-University) company. No effort is made to identify the person reporting and no trace of the call is performed. Information received is given to the Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics, who will evaluate the concerns raised and, if necessary, refer the matter to the most appropriate University office for review.

The Office of University Compliance has the authority to investigate such matters, and if warranted, recommend remedial action to the UConn administration.