Discord is committed to cultivating belonging and striving for excellence by treating all workers with respect, ensuring safe working conditions, being environmentally responsible, and leading with integrity and good faith ethical practices. We expect our suppliers and their subsidiaries, affiliates, and subcontractors (“Suppliers”) to operate their businesses with social, ethical, and environmental responsibility and integrity. This Supplier Code of Conduct describes the legal, environmental, and social obligations for our Suppliers.
1. Compliance
When providing goods and services to Discord, Suppliers are required to fully comply with all applicable laws and regulations. They must also meet the expectations outlined in this Supplier Code of Conduct, along with any contractual requirements and additional terms.
Suppliers are expected to maintain a system designed to enable its operations to conform to the standards in this Supplier Code of Conduct and also record, identify, mitigate, and remediate any gaps and operational risks. Upon request from Discord, Suppliers will accurately disclose information regarding their labor, health and safety, environmental practices, business activities, structure, financial situation, and performance, in accordance with prevailing industry practices. Suppliers will also allow and enable Discord (and any third party representing Discord) to assess a Supplier’s compliance with this Supplier Code of Conduct by inspecting and reviewing the Supplier’s facilities, practices, policies, and relevant records without notice and interviewing personnel without disruption or monitoring. Suppliers will communicate clear and accurate information about their practices, policies, and expectations to their workers, next-tier supplier(s), and customers, and will train their employees on their requirements under this Supplier Code of Conduct. Suppliers will promptly implement reasonable corrective action to remedy any material non-conformance identified by Discord. Though we might seek to work with Suppliers to improve conditions, we also may terminate our relationship with any Supplier that fails to meet any of these responsibilities.
2. Labor and Human Rights
At Discord, we firmly believe in treating all workers with respect and dignity. We hold our Suppliers to the same standard and expect them to prioritize the well-being of their workers. This includes ensuring that all workers, regardless of their employment type, are treated with human decency. Our Suppliers must adhere to the following standards in their operations:
No Forced Labor. Suppliers will not use forced, bonded (including debt bondage), indentured, or involuntary prison labor, and will not engage in slavery or trafficking of any person. No matter the situation, all work must be voluntary, and workers should be able terminate their employment at any time. Suppliers will not require workers to pay any recruitment or employment fees or expenses. Suppliers will ensure that workers always have access to their identity, immigration, or work permit documents. This means Suppliers may not hold, destroy, conceal, or confiscate identity or immigration documents, such as government-issued identification, passports, or work permits. Suppliers can only hold documentation if required by law. Even so, workers should never be denied access to their documents. Suppliers should make sure that each worker receives a written agreement describing the terms of employment, and if there is international relocation involved, the agreement must be given and signed prior to the relocation.
No Child Labor. Suppliers will not use child labor. “Child” means any person under age 15, under the age for completing compulsory education, or under the minimum age for employment in the country, whichever is greatest. Workers under the age of 18 will not perform work that is likely to jeopardize their health or safety, including night shifts, overtime, or physically or psychologically demanding work. In the absence of local law, suppliers must pay student workers, interns, and apprentices at least the same wage rates as other entry-level workers performing equal or similar tasks.
Wages. Suppliers will pay legally-mandated wages and benefits and comply with the law regarding wage deductions. Suppliers must also provide workers with the basis on which workers are paid via pay stub or similar documentation. Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure is not permitted.
Working Hours. Except in emergency situations, Suppliers will set a maximum of 60 hours per week (including overtime) for any workers paid on an hourly basis. Workers should be allowed at least one day off every seven days. All overtime hours must be voluntary.
Abuse, Discrimination, and Harassment. Suppliers will not discriminate in screening, hiring, or employment practices based on race, color, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, ethnicity, national origin, caste, disability, genetic information, medical condition, pregnancy, religion, political affiliation, union membership, covered veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law. Workers’ religious practices should be reasonably accommodated.
Fostering Diversity. Because diversity, equity, and inclusion is crucial to us, our Suppliers must also demonstrate a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the workplace.
Freedom of Association. Suppliers will respect workers rights to associate freely, bargain collectively, and seek representation in accordance with local laws. Suppliers are expected to permit workers to openly communicate and share grievances with management without fear of reprisal, intimidation, discrimination, or harassment.
3. Health & Safety
Suppliers must ensure that all operations happen in healthy and safe working conditions for its workers. Suppliers will further ensure that the following requirements are met:
Occupational Safety and Health. Suppliers will comply with all applicable safety and health laws and regulations. Suppliers will identify, evaluate, and control worker exposure to safety and health hazards, such as chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic stressors, and other elements of physically demanding work, through proper design, engineering controls, maintenance, safe work procedures, and ongoing health and safety guidance. Suppliers must also identify, evaluate, and control worker exposure to the hazards of physically demanding tasks, including manual material handling and heavy or repetitive lifting, prolonged standing, and highly repetitive or forceful assembly tasks. When these methods cannot adequately control risks, suppliers must provide workers with personal protective gear and education about the risks involved in the language of the worker or in a language the worker can understand. Suppliers will implement procedures to prevent, manage, track, and report occupational injury and illness.
Machine Safeguarding. Production and other machinery shall be evaluated for safety hazards. Physical guards, interlocks, and barriers are to be provided and properly maintained where machinery presents an injury hazard to workers.
Emergency Preparedness. Suppliers will identify and plan for potential emergencies, and Suppliers will implement emergency plans and provide guidance to workers on emergency response procedures, including emergency reporting, worker notification and evacuation, drills, fire detection and suppression equipment, exit facilities, and recovery plans in accordance with local law.
Sanitation, Food, and Housing. Suppliers will provide workers with ready access to clean toilet facilities, potable water, and sanitary food preparation, storage, and eating facilities. If Suppliers provide workers with housing, those facilities will be clean and safe, including but not limited to adequate personal space, entry and exit privileges, emergency egresses, heat and ventilation, adequate lighting, and hot water for bathing and showering.
4. Environmental
We expect that our Suppliers will strive to create regenerative processes to minimize adverse effects on the community, environment, and natural resources while safeguarding the health and safety of the public. This includes the following:
Environmental Permits and Reporting. Suppliers will obtain and keep current all required environmental permits, approvals, and registrations and follow their operational and reporting requirements.
Resource Efficiency and Clean Energy. Suppliers will work to reduce consumption of resources, including raw materials, energy, and water. Suppliers will seek to minimize energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and use cleaner sources of energy.
Hazardous and Restricted Substances. Suppliers will manage chemicals and other materials that pose a hazard to the environment to ensure their safe handling, use, storage, and disposal. Suppliers will identify, monitor, control, treat, and reduce hazardous air emissions, wastewater, and waste generated from its operations.
Waste Mitigation. Suppliers will work to reduce or eliminate waste of all types. Where waste cannot be eliminated, Suppliers will manage all waste streams in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and in an environmentally responsible and secure way; this includes, but is not limited to, preventing illegal discharges and spills from entering storm drains and treating as required prior to discharge or disposal of all wastewater and solid waste from operations, industrial processes, and sanitation facilities.
Air Emissions. Suppliers will characterize, monitor, control, and treat air generated by its operations prior to discharge.
Materials Restrictions. Suppliers are to adhere to all applicable laws, regulations, and customer requirements regarding the prohibition or restriction of specific substances in products and manufacturing, including labeling for recycling and disposal.
Water Management. Supplier shall implement a water management program that documents, characterizes, and monitors water sources, use and discharge; seeks opportunities to conserve water; and controls channels of contamination. All wastewater is to be characterized, monitored, controlled, and treated as required prior to discharge or disposal.
5. Ethics
Discord places a strong emphasis on upholding ethical standards to promote honesty and integrity in business operations. Our Suppliers are expected to comply with all requirements listed below:
Conflicts. Suppliers will avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interest in their work with Discord. Suppliers will immediately disclose any known family or other close personal relationships with Discord’s employees who have an influence over their engagements with Discord.
Gifts. If Suppliers extend any business courtesies to our employees, they will do so infrequently, and the courtesies must be of no more than moderate value. Suppliers will also accurately reflect their business dealings in their books and records. Suppliers will have a zero-tolerance policy that prohibits all forms of bribery (covering promising, offering, giving, or accepting any bribes), corruption, extortion, fraud, and embezzlement, and will implement monitoring and enforcement procedures to ensure conformance with anti-corruption laws. Suppliers will not make illegal payments directly or indirectly.
Intellectual Property. Suppliers will respect intellectual property rights and the confidential information of others. Suppliers will conduct technology and know-how transfers in a manner protecting intellectual property rights and confidential information.
Privacy and Information Security. Suppliers will protect the privacy of personal information of everyone with whom they do business, including suppliers, customers, consumers, and workers.
Responsible Materials Sourcing. Suppliers will maintain a policy reasonably assuring that any tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold in products they manufacture does not directly or indirectly benefit armed groups that commit human rights abuses, including in or near the Democratic Republic of Congo. Suppliers will exercise, and will make available to us upon request, due diligence on the source and chain of custody of these minerals.
Fair Business, Advertising & Competition. Suppliers must obey applicable laws and industry and regulatory standards of fair business, advertising, and competition.
6. Accessibility.
Discord is committed to incorporating accessibility into the design of its products (learn more here: https://discord.com/accessibility-statement). Suppliers will embed relevant web accessibility standards, innovation, and best practices to deliver inclusive products and services for our users and stakeholders.