The Human Element of Becoming a B Corp™
Businesses can be successful while working to create more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic systems for all.
-Andrew Kassoy, co-founder of B Lab Global, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement
B Corporation™ Focus: Our People
The Human Element
We know fast fashion has an outsized impact on the environment but the way the industry has and, in some regions, continues to treat the people who make the clothes we wear leaves a great deal to be desired. Textile workers, particularly women in developing countries, often labour under challenging circumstances in unsafe environments and receive pay below an appropriate wage level. In addition to the human rights violations that occur when workers are treated poorly, other threats such as the harmful effects on health and wellbeing arise when the chemicals used in clothing production result in serious medical issues.
Respect and Dignity for All
As a B Corp™, we ardently believe every individual part of our organization and supply chain is worthy of respect and dignity. And just as we put the environment first in the way we design and manufacture our apparel, we also put our workers before profit and financial considerations at every level of the enterprise. Here, we outline how we treat our workers throughout our supply chain and our staff at our headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Supply Chain/Production Workers
We believe a merchandising assistant at our headquarters in Canada is equal to the same equitable, safe, and comfortable working conditions as our colleagues manufacturing our clothing on the factory floor. Unfortunately, in countries around the world, factory owners and managers often fire pregnant workers or deny maternity leave; retaliate against workers who join or form unions; force workers to do overtime work or risk losing their job; and turn a blind eye when male managers or workers sexually harass female workers.
To ensure we maintain workplace standards to respect and treat with dignity every individual working in the complete supply chain process, all suppliers and factories in the MPG garment production cycle must follow binding and strict social compliance requirements. The following are some of the certifications MPG utilizes to work with compliant factories and facilities:
Based on principles of the International Labor Organization, all three independently monitor and certify standards of human resources management, health and safety, environmental practices, and legal compliance, including import/export matters and customs and security, which include:
- Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations
- Prohibition of Forced Labor
- Prohibition of Child Labor
- Prohibition of Harassment or Abuse
- Compensation and Benefits
- Hours of Work
- Prohibition of Discrimination
- Health and Safety
- Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
- Environment
- Customs Compliance
- Security
HQ
We genuinely believe diversity of experiences, ideas, and perspectives breed creativity, a sentiment reflected in our team. Initially founded by first-generation immigrants from East Africa, diversity has never been an objective we’ve had to pursue actively; we’ve always had a team from a wide array of cultural backgrounds, which has contributed in invaluable ways to the company’s achievements to date.
- Over 30% of our workforce identify as a racial or ethnic minority.
- Over 40 different nationalities are represented in our workforce.
- Over 50% of our managers identify as female.
- Over 60% of our workforce identify as female.
- Over 75% of our executive team identity as a visible minority.
Employee Benefits
What sets us apart is our people, and we know the importance of investing in them.
We provide all full-time employees with a robust, employer-paid benefits package with full health benefits. Our flex-time program allows employees to modify their working hours to best fit their schedules and family obligations.
Employee Satisfaction
We’re mindful of what’s essential to our team members, which is why we continually engage our staff to share their concerns and create dialogue around issues that affect their day-to-day work life. To better understand our team, we conduct internal satisfaction surveys to evaluate what is and isn’t working at our organization to heed concerns and make changes where necessary. Here are the results of a recent survey:
Here are the results of a recent survey:
| Category | Areas | Satisfied |
|---|---|---|
| Management | Accessibility Responsiveness Leadership Support & Feedback |
95.5% |
| Shared Service | Information Technology Human Resources Accounting |
94% |
| HR Policy | Work From Home Performance Management Group Benefits |
94.3% |
| Communication | Policy Updates Pandemic Updates Dept Weekly Meetings State of Company Update Staffing Information Operational updates |
95.1% |
| Covid 19 Management | Pandemic Administration Working from home Safe work Environment Providing necessary tools and equipment Assistance for shots Covid Communication and Updates Quick response to changes Dealing with positive cases Providing Rapid Tests Vaccine Mandate |
96% |
| Staff Recognition | Informal appreciation Annual Feedback Summer Picnic Gift Cards Salary and Bonuses |
93.9% |
| Community Services | Donations to Cause Mondetta Charity New MCF Mandate Diversity Initiatives B Corp HIGGS |
98.7% |
| Overall Satisfaction | Working for Mondetta | 93.2% |