How we win

We work to maintain an ethical supply chain by working only with business partners who value and honor the rights of people everywhere.

Why we put values first

We are led by our purpose, which includes a commitment to respecting and protecting the rights of people across the globe. We believe that properly supporting people is key to a prosperous future. Therefore, we are committed to upholding an ethical and transparent supply chain that is free of child labor, forced labor, slavery and human trafficking.

As an early signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, we make the connections between human rights and the creation of sustainable value that can benefit society.

Woman sitting at a table, looking at a leather file in a cafe
A woman looking down at a tablet she's holding in an office

What winning looks like

We strive to respect and protect human rights throughout our operations and supply chain by:

  • Providing safe and healthy working conditions at all Johnson Controls facilities
  • Respecting employees’ rights to organize and bargain collectively and never discriminating against their representatives
  • Paying fairly in the market and meeting or exceeding all legal requirements related to compensation
  • Allowing employees to work no more than the regular and overtime hours permitted by local law
  • Performing appropriate due diligence on potential business partners and following procurement policies when selecting new vendors, seeking out those who do not violate human rights
  • Requiring suppliers and vendors to comply with our Global Supplier Standards
  • Instructing business partners not to purchase or use conflict minerals
  • Reporting any human rights concerns to the Law Department or the Integrity Helpline

For further guidance around respecting and protecting human rights, please see our policies on Human Rights & Sustainability, Slavery and Human Trafficking, Supplier Diversity and Conflict Minerals.

Putting people first: it's all connected

Human rights are about more than checking up on our supply chain. They’re about how people deserve to be treated in the workplace, in the marketplace and in our communities.

We recognize the positive impact we can have as a global company. Our commitment in this area is reflected in our Human Rights & Sustainability Policy. This recognizes the many issues that can affect human rights, including:

  • Health and safety
  • Working conditions
  • Bribery and corruption
  • Respect for the environment
  • Governance
  • Transparent reporting and accountability

Think first

Q:

I recently toured a major supplier’s facilities in a developing country. Some of the workers seemed very young to me. Over two very long days, I remember seeing the same faces early in the morning and late in the evening. I know that child labor and working hours violations have been problems in this part of the world. This supplier has a good reputation and assured us that they follow all applicable labor laws. Do I have a responsibility to share my concerns or escalate the matter further?

A:
As a signatory to the UN Global Compact and an advocate for human rights in general, Johnson Controls does not tolerate the employment of children or other labor abuses. If you have any concern that there could be labor or human rights violations at one of our suppliers, you must share your concern with management, Compliance Department or the Integrity Helpline so that it can be investigated.