Respecting human rights

We respect human rights in our operations, not just because doing so fosters a stable business environment, but more importantly, because it is the right and responsible thing to do.

We participated in the consultation process outlined by John Ruggie, the United Nations Special Representative on Business and Human Rights. Professor Ruggie’s 2008 report set forth a widely accepted policy framework for managing business and human rights challenges based on distinct yet complementary responsibilities for governments and corporations as well as effective remedies in cases of abuse.

The “protect, respect, remedy” framework outlines the duty of governments to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and the need for improved access to effective remedy mechanisms. Under this framework, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights involves due diligence, having policies in place, conducting impact assessments, and establishing mechanisms to track performance. As discussed in this section, ExxonMobil’s approach is consistent with the basic components of this framework. We are assessing company policies and processes relative to the Guiding Principles as submitted by Professor Ruggie to the UN in 2011.

Labor policies, practices and accountability
Our commitment to respect basic human rights is supported by the policies in our Standards of Business Conduct (Standards), which are consistent with the spirit and intent of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The Standards establish a common set of ethical practices for all ExxonMobil employees in all of our operations. The Standards, which we monitor and enforce, include core policies in the areas of ethics, safety, legal compliance and employment opportunity and practices. They also express the principles that guide our relationships with shareholders, customers, employees and communities. Training programs are held periodically so that employees understand and are prepared to comply with the Standards. Employees who violate the Standards are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Our Statement on Labor and the Workplace articulates our support for the principles of the ILO Declaration, namely the elimination of child labor, forced labor, and workplace discrimination, and the recognition of the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. All employees are required to comply with our policies.

We seek business partners that observe similar standards.   Purchases arranged for by our global procurement organization (Procurement) typically include contract language that requires adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, which would include all laws and regulations on safety, security, health, the environment and human rights.  Another typical clause in such agreements allows us to audit the requirements of the contract including compliance with law and we undertake numerous audits each year.  Furthermore requests for quotations issued by Procurement typically include clauses relating to the prohibition of forced or child labor and the payment of wages in accordance with local laws.  Participants in such tenders are required to adhere to those requirements as a condition of participating in the tender process.

Providing human rights training
Our human rights training is based on ExxonMobil guidelines, practices, and priorities, and is informed by guidance from the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association and other sources. Training materials are periodically updated to reflect new developments in the human rights arena as well as to incorporate feedback from trainees.

The training focuses primarily on employee awareness, company policies and approaches, company resources, and our commitment to respecting human rights. Each session also includes information on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, the requirements of our Framework on Security and Human Rights, and the status of implementation of the Framework in the given country. Human rights and security training has been completed in 16 countries over the past three years.

We continue to provide dedicated human rights training to key affiliates and staff, including lead country managers (LCMs). Human rights is a recurring component in both quarterly LCM communications and new LCM training. Following an initial three-year implementation period, we have nearly completed training sessions in all priority countries identified on the basis of a variety of criteria, including the specific level of security threat, acute and dynamic issues, and external nongovernmental organization (NGO) ratings. We are now assessing progress in each of the countries to determine follow-up actions. Training will also be provided on a wider spectrum to employees via a computer-based training module or other means.