Policies and Standards

adidas has established standards and rules that specify the company's responsibilities towards its global workforce. These rights and rules are defined in the adidas Labor Rights Charter. The charter demonstrates the company’s commitment to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is the guiding framework for several corporate level policies that put our commitment into day-to day practice. These policies are related to issues such as employee recruitment, development, equal opportunities and compensation and benefits.

The Workplace Standards are rules we apply at our own sites and our suppliers’ factories to cover health and safety, labor rights and environmental protection. The Standards draw from international law and the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, and follow the model code of conduct of the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI). We revised the Workplace Standards in 2001, 2006 and 2016 in consultation with labor rights groups.

We expect all our suppliers to live up to these Standards. They are a contractual obligation under the manufacturing agreements adidas signs with its main business partners.

We treat forced labor, human trafficking and slavery as zero-tolerance issues. Business relationships can be impacted if such issues are found and can lead to enforcement action, warning letters and, if timely remedies are not offered, to termination.

We are committed to working with our business partners, across our global and multi-layered supply chain, to ensure that sourcing and purchasing decisions, and other supporting processes, do not impede or conflict with the fulfillment of the adidas Workplace Standards.

At adidas we are committed to eliminating the practice of migrant workers paying recruitment costs and fees to secure their employment. We support the Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity to enhance respect for the rights of migrant workers from the moment of recruitment, during employment and through to further employment or safe return.

adidas believes all employees have the right to work in a safe, fair, and respectful environment that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits harassment and discrimination. Only by maintaining a positive, inclusive workplace can we all benefit from the full potential of our fellow employees’ capabilities, creativity, and talent. Towards that goal, we established GHR28 – Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy.

This Policy is our global framework detailing how adidas prevents, detects, and responds to all forms of discrimination and harassment. It applies to all employees worldwide, and at all adidas workplaces, including job-related events outside the office. GHR28 applies regardless of who commits the harassment or discrimination or against whom it is directed.

In 1998, we adopted a comprehensive and detailed Restricted Substances Policy ("A-01 Requirements") for product materials, prohibiting the use of chemicals considered as harmful or toxic. Not only does the policy cover the strictest local requirements, it also includes best practice standards as recommended by consumer organisations. Restricted substances are those that cause harm or are suspected to cause harm to human health or the environment. Our approach is that suppliers must avoid the use of possible harmful substances to ensure that our products are environmentally safe.

We review and update our standards and policies on restricted substances on an annual basis, to make sure that they are following state-of-the-art scientific findings, and we are consistently executing them to the highest standard. Applicable as of September 1, 2021.

adidas has established an Integrated Management System (IMS) Policy as direction for adidas business entities worldwide to manage their operations in a safe, healthy, energy-efficient and environmentally responsible manner. It documents the Health & Safety, Environmental, and Energy Management System of adidas (HSEE), including all its brands, functions, sites and locations within the scope of management system.

We have Guidelines on Corporate Giving in place to help organisations to apply. The guidelines explain the application procedure, grant requirements and areas where we will and will not get involved.

Organisations seeking support should follow the Application Procedure as outlined in the Corporate Giving Guidelines and send their request to the adidas office in their home country or the closest office.

The Global Privacy Management Policy documents key privacy concepts as well as core procedural components necessary to maintain a privacy management program. Furthermore, it prescribes roles and responsibilities necessary to operationalize privacy management in a multi-layered, international organization.

The handling of external enquiries related to privacy is a cornerstone of privacy management, may they originate from regulators, supervisory authorities, or the consumer. In 2020, adidas has detected and responded to 37 privacy enquiries issued by administrative bodies and 205 complaints raised by consumers.