1. Compliance with Laws

Suppliers are obligated to identify and comply with all international, national, regional and local laws and regulations applicable to their operations. This obligation also includes ensuring that any required certificates, licenses, permits and/or registrations are and remain current, and all activity undertaken by suppliers does not extend beyond the scope of those authorizations.

2. Minimum Wages and Benefits

Suppliers shall ensure that workers are paid wages equal to the minimum wage prescribed by local law or the prevailing local industry wage, whichever is higher. Suppliers shall also ensure that workers are compensated for overtime and are provided benefits that conform to the better of applicable local law or prevailing local industry standards. All such payments must be made in legal tender, on a regular basis and in a timely manner.

3. Maximum Working Hours

Overtime shall be limited to a level consistent with humane and productive working conditions. Workers shall not be required, on a regularly scheduled basis, to work in excess of sixty hours per week, or a lesser amount if prescribed by local laws or local industry standards. Workers shall also be provided with at least one day off in seven, along with adequate rest breaks during the workday consistent with applicable local legal requirements.

4. No Forced Labor

Express will not accept any form of forced labor in its supply chain, whether that be in the form of prison, indentured, bonded, involuntary, coerced or slave labor, or as labor obtained through human trafficking or other forms of exploitation. All labor must be voluntary and provide workers with full freedom of movement. Suppliers are not permitted to retain any personal identification, travel documents or wages as a condition of employment, with workers provided complete details about their employment in their native language including all rights, responsibilities and information pertinent to their wages, hours and established time off. Express utilizes all indicators of forced labor identified by the International Labor Organization ("ILO") for purposes of identifying whether forced labor may be found in its supply chain with any confirmed violation establishing the basis for an immediate termination of any existing contractual relationship.

5. No Child Labor

The use of child labor by any supplier, whether in the form of employee or contracted labor, will not be tolerated.  No individuals may be hired who are under 15 years of age, under the age consistent with local law and applicable ILO Conventions, or under the otherwise legal minimum age for employment in the country, whichever of those ages is greatest. 

6. Health and Safety

Suppliers shall ensure that the work environment remains safe and healthy, including ensuring that workers are protected against any physical or operational hazard. Workers should be properly trained on all equipment, provided with any required safety or operational gear and apprised of applicable occupational health and safety policies and procedures including those pertaining to emergency evacuation. All workers must also retain the right without retribution to refuse to work under conditions that would compromise their health and safety. A safe and healthy working environment also includes ready access to potable drinking water, adequate lighting, ventilation and sanitation as well as, where applicable, safe and healthy company living quarters.

7. Nondiscrimination

Hiring and employment decisions, including those relating to compensation, benefits, promotion, training and development, discipline and termination must be based solely on the worker’s skill, ability, experience and performance and not on the basis of discriminatory intent including on the basis of characteristics such as race, national origin, gender, age, physical characteristics, social origin, disability, union membership, religion, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any unlawful factor under applicable law.

8. No Corporal Punishment

Neither corporal punishment nor any other form of physical or psychological coercion, threatened or otherwise, shall be used against workers.

9. Freedom of Association

The lawful exercise of workers' rights of free association and collective bargaining shall be respected and not restricted or interfered with. Workers' ability to voluntarily form, join or not join trade unions or other organizations shall be unconstrained without fear of reprisal in the form of discrimination, retaliation, harassment or intimidation.

10. Anti-Corruption/Anti-Bribery

Suppliers must have controls in place that ensure compliance with all applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, rules and regulations and anti-bribery policies and requirements established by Express.

11. Environment

Suppliers must ensure that their operations are in compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, including but not limited to those related to waste disposal, hazardous waste, emissions, wastewater and toxic substances. All required environmental permits and/or licenses must be secured and kept current and all operational, registration and reporting requirements followed.

12. Community Involvement

Projects undertaken in partnership with community groups or local or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), particularly those that address educational opportunities for younger people employed in production facilities, shall be encouraged and supported.

13. Access

For the purpose of monitoring compliance with our policies, Express and its subcontractors and agents shall be given unrestricted access to all receiving, production and warehousing facilities and dormitories and to all relevant records, whether or not notice is provided in advance.

14. Subcontracting

Express does not allow unauthorized subcontracting. A formal request must be submitted to Express for approval should a supplier require subcontracting.