final updated report 2015
TRANSCRIPT
MAKING. WORK. BETTER.BUILDING BETTER CHAIRS
2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
2 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT CONTENTS
Welcome ..........................................A messAge From our ceo ....................About us ......................................... Products .............................................. History .................................................environmentAl steWArdsHiP ................... - design For environment (dFe) ..........- locAl PurcHAsing .............................. - Product tAke bAck ........................... - energy & gHgs .......................... lAbor & culture .................................- HumAn rigHts ................................... - suPPly cHAin .............................. - inclusion ........................................... - sAFety & Wellness ............................. - community ......................................... gri index .....................................
34
5 - 6 7A - 7b
89
101011
11 - 121314
14 - 15161718
19 - 22
CONTENTS 3 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT WELCOME
Welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to look through Seating Inc.’s updated Corporate Responsibility Report; where we share details of our culture for sustainability and corporate social responsibility! This report offers an exciting opportunity for us to communicate the sustainable business practices we’ve been working on, and to in-troduce our environmental and social initiatives for the future. We are continuously working to improve our sustainability performance and are happy to share this infor-mation with you here.
In 2012, we started developing various systems to measure and monitor our sustainability performance, in order to get our products BIFMA level® certified. Late in 2014, we moved from a purely environmental management system (EMS) to a Sustainability Manamement System (SMS) to accommodate our goals related to social responsibility. We feel this broader view of sustainability will help us to remain not only an environmentally, but a socially conscious company moving forward.
Maintaining our SMS requires our sustainability team to identify the most significant environmental and social impacts that could result from our chair manu-facturing operations and to take the necessary steps to reduce the negative and increase the positive impacts. In identifying these aspects, we consider the material environmental and social issues that could potentially impact our stakeholders. These stakeholders include our employees, owners, customers, suppliers, end-users, community, various levels of government, manufacturer’s representatives, and consultants. With this in mind, we work continuously to improve our products and operations to best represent all stakeholders.
In this report, we provide data and performance indicators for the 2013 and 2014 performance years. The information provided should be comparable with our previous and future reports to demonstrate our improvements, as well as to disclose information on areas where we have room for improvement. We plan to update our Corporate Responsibilty Report annually, so interested parties can stay up-to-date with our progress.
We would love to hear any comments, feedback, or suggestions for improvement that you may have! You can reach out by e-mailing us at:[email protected].
Our 2013/2014 Corporate Responsibility Report contains Standard Disclosures and Performance Indicators from the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.. More information about the GRI can be found at www.globalreporting.org. To learn more about BIFMA level® certification, visit www.levelcertified.org.
Photograph by Peggy Tirrell
4 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
A messAge From our ceo
When my husband and I started up business here in 1989 the large brick building we found in the small town of Nunda, NY had been neglected for years. With the support of our community, team members and loyal customers, we have been able to transform the space into an attractive and efficient factory in the town which not only provides work for local people but gives inspiration for our community. When our industry shifted toward foreign imports over American-made goods, we stayed true to our values and continued to source materials locally and build our products here in western New York. This dedication to our values is part of our sustainable vision. We believe the real cost of foreign imports on the American economy is much higher than the price tag might suggest.
We have been working hard to develop goals and systems to monitor the environmental, economic, and social impacts of our manufacturing process. In the short-term, our priority is to develop a ‘green’ culture within our factory walls by creating a uniquely healthy working environment and providing training about things like recycling, reducing stress by improving air quality through our green factory project, and increasing employee engagement through regular meetings where employees are encouraged to get involved in discussions. Meanwhile, we will continue to lower our en-ergy-usage by installing new energy efficient lighting and looking into the best renewable energy options for our operation. In the long-run, we want to employ the use of on-site renewable energy to lower our costs and help us to compete in a global marketplace. We also want to repair the factory floor which was originally installed in the early 1900’s, and to replace it with a floor that has radiant heat. Although this is a big job in a 77,000 sq. foot facility, this will improve worker safety and further reduce our energy consumption.
Since our last report, we have invested in new equipment to improve workstation ergonomics (with help from Workforce Development Institute (WDI)), introduced living plants into the factory to promote clean air through our ‘green factory project’, and constructed a new break room for the team with a large window that welcomes in natural light. We also introduced zero-sort recycling into our facility with the help of our waste partner, Casella, and hosted a training event where all staff could learn more about what materials are recyclable and why. Now we are recycling plastics and glass as well as cans, bottles, foam, paper and metal. We continue to reuse scrap wood and cardboard from our manufacturing processes, ensuring they do not go to the landfill. We are working hard to make work better by building better chairs, Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Judy HartPresident & CEOSeating, Inc.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
About us
Seating Inc. is a certified woman owned business, manufacturing seating products in Nunda, New York. Chairs are our only business, so we are experts at building quality, comfortable, long lasting seating products for a wide variety of users. With over 25 years of experience crafting and manufactuing chairs, we are able to create uniquely durable and functional products. Our mid-market products provide great value and we back them up with excellent customer ser-vice and long term warranties. We are here when you call, uniquely responsive because our office and factory operate out of the same facility.
A prosperous Seating Inc. helps to provide better lives for all of us here at the fac-tory, while also providing healthier ergonomic solutions for our end-users. Our expert crew translates into a uniquely capable, agile, and innovative manufactur-ing operation. The goal each day at the factory is to work as a team to get chair orders out quickly, correctly, and on time. One of the reasons we are growing our manufacturing operation is to create more permanent, full-time jobs and toimprove opportunities for the people who already work here.
We support other small manufacturers and maximize the use of North American made component parts in our process. We have purchased from most of our suppliers for many years which has helped us develop relationships that are an integral piece of our sustainability puzzle, particularly when our local suppliers incorporate recycled materials into their component products.
5 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT ABOUT US
“One of the reasons we are growing our manufacturing operations is to create more permanent, full-time jobs and to improve opportunities for
the people who already work here.”
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
6 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
Our target market is customers who care about where they sit; inhospitals and health care facilities, schools and colleges, federaland state government buildings and commercial offices. Seating Inc. chairs are “built to fit and built to last” for real people - small and large, big and tall, and everything in-between.
We offer quality ergonomic task, swivel, multi-purpose, stools, stacking, nest-ing and castor chairs out of our 77,000 sq. foot facility in western New York. Our specialty is manufacturing intensive use, heavy duty, and generous fit models which can sustain a tremendous amount of use over many years. We also offer three weight-capacities, each with different interiors built to accommodate our customers’ needs. We are able to provide this customization because we do our own internal wood and foam cutting and shaping in-house. We build every chair to order, which permits the purchaser to include the features and options that are most important to them, and that fit their budget.
We have recently introduced our new mission: “Making work better - building better chairs”. This mission has eight areas of focus for making seating products that are better. Better for America, Women, Community, Suppliers, Buyers, End Users, Workers, and of course the Environment. We’re making better chairs, so our buyers can make a difference.
Our products are BIFMA level® certified for their sustainable attributes and also qualify for LEED credits. They are also approved by state contracts in Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin, and are on GSA, MHEC, and IUC-PG contracts.
We’re mAking better cHAirs so
our buyers cAn mAke A diFFerence”
7a 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT PRODUCTS
Products
All Seating Inc. Products can be fitted with arm, base, textile and specialty options that suit our customers’ needs and budgets!
Advent » $• Durableplasticouterback• Widevarietyoffunctionaluses
Contour II » $$• Uniquecurvecraftedin-houseforbackandseat• Incrediblebacksupport• Fullfamilyofchairs–everymodelavailable
EDU2 *new product 2014* » $• Greatstyle&value• Availablewithfullyupholsteredseatandback
Fit >> *new product 2014* $$$• Sleek,contemporarydesign• Perfectforexecutiveandconference• AvailableinHighandMedBack
Grid » $$$• MeshbackwithoptionalMeshSeat• AdjustableLumbarSupportforultimateergonomicfunctionality!
Health » $$• HighDensityfabricatedfoamstools• PerfectforuseinMedicalField• BariatricAvailable
Indy » $$• Greatinmedical,laboratory,orindustrialapplications• Economicalchoiceforhightrafficareas
7b 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT PRODUCTS
Jay » $$$• attractive/modernchairstofitanyareainyourfacility• Choosemeshorfullyupholsteredback
K » *new product 2014* $$$• DeluxestylewithDesignerDetail• Highqualitymoldedfoam
Monterey II » $$• DeluxestylewithDesignerDetail• Highqualitymoldedfoam
Pearl II » $$• Comfortableandreliablewithgreatergonomicsupport• Classicstyle
Saddle » $$$• SophisticatedLook• Greatforconferencerooms
Tradition » $$$• Comfortable,ergonomicchairwith3styleoptions:traditional,transitional,or contemporary
8 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT HISTORY
History
Seating Inc. was established in the spring of 1989 by Judy and Doug Hart, a young married couple with a dream. After coming to the USA from Canada, they decided to embrace their ambitious goal of creating a chair manufacturing business in Western New York that would support their family and community. They began operations in a historic building that by 1989 had been deserted. At that time it was a huge, dark and emptyspacewithbrokenwindowsandblackenedwalls–adangerous attraction for neighborhood kids. Judy and Doug saw this vacant space as an opportunity and started the company there in a small section of the large building - They made chairs, sales calls, and applied for state and federal contract approvals. Over time as sales increased and demand grew, they were able to open up the facility and to recruit an expert crew. Now Seating Inc. has 31 full-time employ-ees and is growing steadily every year!
The attractive brick building that Seating Inc. operates from has been a prominent feature of Nunda’s Main Street since it was built over a hundred years ago. It boasts 77,000 square feet of usable space and occupies almost a full block of the small town. During its previous life this facility hosted a company that manufactured paving equipment, a task that provided jobs for many local workers and had a tremendously positive effect on the local economy throughout the early 1900’s. Seating Inc. is proud to continue this legacy by providing jobs for the commu-nity over a hundred years later!
For more information on the history of the building please visit www.nundahistory.org and search for the foote manufacturing company!
*Photography by Peggy Tirrell
Pearl II » $$• Comfortableandreliablewithgreatergonomicsupport• Classicstyle
Saddle » $$$• SophisticatedLook• Greatforconferencerooms
Tradition » $$$• Comfortable,ergonomicchairwith3styleoptions:traditional,transitional,or contemporary
9 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT ENVIRONMENT
environmentAl steWArdsHiP
Seating Inc. is surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of upstate New York, so we are constantly reminded of the importance of caring for our environment and the land that supports what we do. At Seating Inc., we recognize the impact of our busi-ness decisions on the environment around us, and are making improvements to promote a sustainable future. From our lean operations and North American based supply chain, to our support of renewable energy and efforts to recover existing furniture, consideration for our environmental footprint has become an integral part of the way that Seating Inc. operates. The products that Seating Inc. manufactures are made of approximately 30% recycled materials and are BIFMA level® certi-fied for sustainability. We are dedicated to continuously improving the working conditions and lessening the environmental impacts of our operation and are proud of the efforts we have made over the past years. We look forward to continuing to do our part well into the future. ,
ENVIRONMENT
locAl PurcHAsing
One of the ways Seating Inc. simultaneously supports the environment and our local community is through our purchasing decisions. This past year over 50% of our spend on direct materials was spent with companies within a 200 mile radius of our operations and less than 1% of materials came from 1,000 miles away or more. We are proud of our supply chain and our decision to support the local economy while also reducing negative impacts of transportation from our process. We feel strongly that our support of American materials differentiates us from our competition, and are happy to supply this type of consciously created product for the marketplace.
10 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT ENVIRONMENT
design For environment (dFe)
Seating Inc. employs smart, streamlined practices to enhance product sustainability and minimize our impact on the environment. Our thoughtful manufacturing philosophy uses the highest quality materials and components from trusted local sources to limit transportation impacts. Seating Inc. chairs have extended product lifecycles to reduce waste, and pass stringent ANSI/BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards to protect indoor air quality. These practices , among others, are examples of our Design for Environment (DfE) Program, which focuses on incorporating renewable materials, recycled materials, recyclable and biodegradable materials, as well as consideration for the water and energy efficiency of our manufacturing processes, and end of life management into our product design process. Seating Inc.’s DfE Program is integrated into the initial design phase of all new products as well as the redesign of any existing products we manufacture; with consideration for the life-cycle impacts of our products from cradle to grave.
Data from January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014
0 - 100 Miles10%
100 - 200 Miles56%
200 - 300 Miles6%
300 - 400 Miles10%
400 - 500 Miles13%
500 - 1,000 Miles4%
>1,000 Miles1%
Supplier Location Analysis, Per $ Spend Direct Materials
Product tAke bAck ProgrAm
Seating Inc. partners with the ANEW Foundation to provide a take-back solution for surplus office furniture and materials. ANEW is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that exists to provide companies with alternatives for disposing of their surplus furniture and other items into the landfill - instead matching these items to appropriate need in non-profits, public agencies and underserved communities. This partnership provides Seating Inc. customers with a means to repurpose their furniture, fixtures and architectural materials, diverting the items from landfill. All captured materials are donated to benefit the local communities in which the furniture resided. Seating Inc. continues to make this relationship a part of its strategic sales strategy. Visit www.anewfound.org to find out more.
energy & gHgs
Energy is a necessary resource for our operations but usage represents an impact to the environment as well as a cost to our business. As such, we strive to ensure that we use our en-ergy resources in the most efficient manner possible and have engaged in several improvement projects around the facility to reduce our consumption over the past several years. From major projects like upgrading the insulation of our facility, to minor changes like changing the way we operate our woodworking presses; we are always looking for opportu-nities to reduce our energy consumption. When normalized to sales, we have reduced our FY 2014 Greenhouse Gas emis-sions (GHGs) by nearly 35% from FY 2007.
11 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT ENVIRONMENT
Seating Inc. inventories and reports our GHG emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The CDP is an international, not-for-profit organization provid-ing the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information. The CDP has emerged as a lead-ing database for public disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions data. Seating Inc. intends to continue our participation in this program into the future. To learn more about the CDP, visit www.cdp.net.
20
80
Renewable Energy (REC's)
GREEN-E CERTIFIEDRENEWABLE ENERGYCERTIFICATES (RECS)
Other energy sources
Data from FY 2013 & 2014
Diesel
sourceAnnuAl gHg totAls (tco2e)
Fy2009 Fy2010 Fy2011 Fy2012 Fy2013 Fy2014scoPe 1:
Gasoline
Natural Gas
Refrigerants
2.96
7.91
40.53
0.60
2.44
8.51
47.58
0.60
3.31
8.50
29.36
0.60
3.79
6.06
37.33
0.60
4.84
12.68
49.77
0.60
5.84
17.84
53.00
0.60
scoPe 2:
Electricity (Grid Purchased) 30.10 33.34 27.56 28.99 26.31 30.19
totAls: 82.10 92.47 69.23 76.77 94.19 107.46
normAlized gHg emissions (tco2e / net sAles (million $)) 26.77 26.20 23.03 19.44 22.13 19.80
Diesel
sourceAnnuAl energy totAls (MMBTU)
Fy2009 Fy2010 Fy2011 Fy2012 Fy2013 Fy2014scoPe 1:
Gasoline
Natural Gas
39.13
110.04
763.75
32.31
118.38
896.56
43.78
118.25
551.36
50.15
84.40
703.35
63.95
176.41
937.84
77.25
248.32
998.57
scoPe 2:
Electricity (Grid Purchased) 452.57 501.29 414.35 435.78 395.52 453.80
totAls: 1365.49 1548.54 1127.74 1273.69 1573.73 1777.94
normAlized energy consumPtion (site mmbtu / net sAles) 445.24 438.78 375.16 322.61 369.79 327.53
12 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT ENVIRONMENT
13 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT LABOR & CULTURE
lAbor & culture
Seating Inc. President Judy Hart has always been focused on providing good work for people; helping them to improve their lives and support their families. Both owners Judy and Doug Hart come from manufacturing backgrounds and have worked as pattern-makers and upholsterers, respectively. In the early days, Doug and Judy were the ones making the chairs, so they understand what they’re asking from their man-ufacturing team and have a supportive and inclusive management style.
In an effort to provide more jobs and improve product design, Seating Inc. added the capability to manufacture its own inner wood and foam blocks in 2009. In 2014 with the help of Workforce Development Institute (WDI), the company purchased several new pieces of equipment to improve workplace ergonomics and lessen stress on team members’ bodies.
Our crew is smart and capable, so every Seating Inc. employee is expected to do their best when they come to work. We welcome creativity and innovation as part of our process because often the person performing a job has the greatest ideas for improvement. Our employees are cross-trained and accustomed to moving from one work area to another, so they understand the complete manufacturing process. Regular production meetings are held so that workers can collaborate to achieve goals, and our year-end corporate report is shared with employees in a meeting with the president, so they can understand how we are doing as a company on a grand scale. We believe that information sharing is important and that people generally do a better job when they understand the role they play in a “bigger picture”. We also have an open door policy for every employee to voice concerns and they regularly take advantage of these opportunities to exchange ideas with the management team.
Over the years we have recognized the importance of both physical and mental health as they relate to the efficiency and happiness of our employees. You’ll find living plants at every work station, and will find employees playing basketball with our indoor hoop during their breaks. We plan fun activities every month, like our factory pizza parties and friendly contests like “the meat loaf tasting” and “jelly bean counting” contests in order to maintain a healthy social culture. We give everyone the chance to express themselves and feel comfortable in the work place because our employees spend a lot of their lives here at the factory, and we want this to be a safe and happy place for them to spend their time. We feel our efforts are not in vain, as the majority
Photograph by Peggy Tirrell
Top left: new ergonomic lift Top Right: New Break room viewBottom left: Basketball hoop on shop floor Bottom Right: Doug Hart and Duane Gibson
LABOR & CULTURE 14 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT LABOR & CULTURE
HumAn rigHts
Within the walls of our factory you’ll find the heart of our business; our employees whose hard work and dedication builds the strength and lasting nature of our chairs. We are a family business and we know the importance of family to our community, which is why we are always flexible with the needs of our workers. We have raised the ceilings on the production floor and opened up space in the office to improve circulation of fresh air, and to promote open communication and creativity throughout the building. We have also incorporated plant life into each work area to naturally filter the air and promote human wellness within Seating Inc.’s walls.
We believe that people do their best work when they are valued and respected. They also need to feel comfortable and safe. The chair makers in our factory are the ones who create value; it is their hard work and dedication that allows us to offer a unique product to the market. Because of this Seating Inc. has always provided excellent company paid health, disability and life insurance benefits, as well as profit sharing for employees. We are extremely sensitive to family needs and make allowances so that our employees can enjoy a good work-life balance. Supervisors allow flexibility to accomodate such needs.
We believe that hard working employees need rest. We pay for extra holidays like Good Friday, Black Friday and Boxing Day, and we’re generous in applying rules for statutory holiday pay. We also give bonuses at Christmas time and provide profit sharing at year-end. Employees who have worked for two years earn two weeks annual paid vacation.
suPPlier Assessment
Because the majority of our material suppliers are located in North America, this reduces the risk of human rights abuses within our supply chain, including child, forced, or compulsory labor. One obstacle we face is that we work with a handful of distributors that source products from all over the globe. It will be a challenge to uncover the inner-workings of the suppliers who supply our distributors; but a challenge that we are willing to take on as we build the systems to do so.
Between 2012 and 2015, Seating Inc.’s suppliers were asked to complete a Social Responsibility survey as a means to assess their own operations for issues related to human rights abuses, health & safety management systems, and other social responsibility related issues. From previous and current engagement efforts, Seating Inc. received survey responses from suppliers comprising 78% of Seating’s 2014 spend on materials. The results of this survey can be found on the next page.
15 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT LABOR & CULTURE
Employee health and safety management (in compliance with local, state, and national health and safety laws)
to WHAt extent does your comPAny meet tHe FolloWing internAtionAlly recognized sociAl resPonsibility criteriA?
to little extent
0
to greAt rAting AverAge
resPonse count
0 0 2 17 4.89 19
Labor and human rights (prohibiting forced labor or child labor) 0 0 1 0 18 4.89 19
0 0 1 1 17 4.84 19
Inclusiveness (attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and supply chain)
1 0 0 4 14 4.58 19
Harassment prevention (promotes atmosphere of mutual respect and enforces rights of all employees to be free from
antagonistic or hostile behaviour 0 0 2 3 14 4.63 19
Working hours (in the context of employee health and welfare) 0 0 0 6 13 4.68 19
Compensation (commitment to fair and equitable compensa-tion for services) 0 0 0 6 13 4.68 19
Community outreach (dedication of time, talent, and/or funding to contribute back to the community in which you operate)
3 1 5 3 7 3.53 19
Anti-discrimination (addressing treatment based on sex, race, ethnic or national origins, sexual orientation, physical/mental
disability)
suPPlier Assessment
LABOR & CULTURE 16 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT LABOR & CULTURE
inclusion
Employees need to feel comfortable and safe to do their best work, that’s why we feel that fostering an inclusive work environment is in our best interest. At Seating, every employee is valuable to the team.
We do not hire very often, but when we do, we hire locally from a small Western New York village. We are proud to offer local work to the community - but diversity, as the word is commonly used in reference to inclusion of race and cultural background is hardly evident in this part of the world. Because the population in this area is so lacking in diversity, percentages in regards to inclusion aren’t that meaningful in our case. Still we do all we can to provide equal opportunity for potential employees.
Because of this, we try to expand the concept of “inclusion” by ensuring that company decisions are made in the best interests of Seating Inc. as a whole. In many cases decisions are made following discussions with supervisors or the entire production group, and also by meaningfully engaging our employees. Senior management is visible and welcoming. In order to make sure that we are all on the same page and operating as a cohesive team, we hold regular production meetings, post updates on bulletin boards, train all employees upon hire and as needed, and communicate other objectives via our employee handbook and peer/su-pervisor guidance.
We appreciate the work our employees do, recognize extra effort, and thank people for special tasks. We are seeking new opportunities for employee recognition as we look at our operations from a sustainability perspective and look forward to revealing details of this programas it unfolds.
S E ATING INC .0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Executive/SeniorLevel Officials &
Managers
First/Mid-LevelOfficials &Managers
Craft Workers Office & Clerical Executive/SeniorLevel Officials &
Managers
First/Mid-LevelOfficials &Managers
Craft Workers Office & Clerical
2013 2014
OUR TEAM White (Male)
Asian (Male)
White (Female)
Inclusion Data from 2013 & 2014
sAFety & Wellness
Protecting our employees from unsafe working conditions is high on our list of priorities. It’s no fun to get hurt. It’s also expensive and bad business. That is why we do our best to keep employees safe while they are on the job. To ensure orderly operations and provide the best possible work environment, Seating Inc. and its employees comply with all health and safety laws and reg-ulations that govern our conduct, as well as our own company requirements and directives.
At Seating Inc., we believe that most accidents can be prevented. Therefore, safety training is provided to all employees upon hire and as needed for specific job requirements. Employees and managers are tasked with defined responsibilities to ensure that the management of our safety program is effective.
We recently appointed an active safety committee that reviews flow on the factory floor and ensures we are doing all we can to promote a safe working environment. We’ve also introduced monthly “7 minute safety” meetings for office and factory teams to keep an active culture of safety throughout the facility.
The trend demonstrated in this graph represents increased reporting of incidents. Employees are now required to report all injuries or incidents, no matter how small they may seem. This method of tracking every occurrence will be best for keeping accurate track of our safety improvements moving forward.
17 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT LABOR & CULTURE
3
13.5
2
8.6
4
17.3
6
22.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
Number of Injuries Incidence Rate
Safety Metrics
2011
2012
2013
2014
Also, as our workforce has increased approximately 35% from 2011 to 2014, there are simply more people around. We will be improving safety training for new employees because we recognize that those who are just learning the ins and outs of our manufacturing tools and processes are most likely to hurt themselves.
Seating Inc. provides an excellent health care benefit package with fully paid premiums after 1 year of service and a generous deductiable reimbursement policy. Future goals include promoting wellness as a cultural norm amongst our workforce. We have started monthly wellness meetings where employees are encouraged to voice concerns and to learn new things about health. Employees are encouraged to bring up topics of interest at the meeting, or to propose them through a suggestion box at their leisure.
LABOR & CULTURE 18 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT LABOR & CULTURE
community
Seating Inc. takes great pride in the loyalty of our customers and the resulting benefits to our employees, representatives, and end-users. We are grateful to our community, our environment, and our employees for helping us to be “small enough to care, big enough to perform.” Our work doesn’t begin and end with the production of chairs; we extend ourselves into the community by providing decent jobs for local workers and supporting local organizations and events.
Seating Inc. is proud to be part of the local community of Nunda, the larger community of Greater Rochester, a western New York Manufacturer and an American supplier. By viewing community in this broad sense, we feel responsible not only to our local workforce and surrounding regions, but to the American community. This is why we feel we can make such a difference in our industry, and are happy to provide the opportunity for our American community to stay connected and thrive into the future.
Each year, we host school tours to help children understand the world of manufacturing, which is increasingly interesting as more of the world shifts to digital technology. We feel it is important for the next generation to understand how physical manufacturing works and for them to be inspired by this type of creative process.
We take every opportunity we can to give back to the organizations, establishments, and institutions that breathe life into our community, because we know that without community we cannot continue.
In 2014, the following organizations were given our support:
Catholic Charities Spelling Bee Chai Lifeline Eagle Scouts FREE Partnerships Jack Mann Memorial Tournament KCS Drama Club Leukemia Lymphoma Society Life Scout Livingston County Historical Society Livingston Wyoming ARC Nunda Fire Department Nunda Garden Club Nunda Gazebo Arts Showcase Nunda Historical Society Nunda Rotary Club Oneonta Police Teresa House United Way
19 2013/2014 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT GRI INDEX
G4-1
GR indicAtors resPonse PAge
Statement from the most senior decision-maker of the organization A Message From Our CEO
G4-3 Name of the organization Seating Inc.
G4-4 Products
G4-5 Location of the organization’s headquarters
Primary brands, products, and services
G4-6
60 N State Street
Nunda, New York 14517
G4-7 Nature of ownership and legal form Woman-owned, Incorporated
G4-8 About Us
G4-9
G4-18
G4-19
Number of countries where the organization operates Seating Inc. operates soley in the United States
Markets served
Scale of the organization About us, History
Process for defining the report content and the Aspect Boundaries Welcome
Material Aspects identified in the process for defining report content Welcome
6
4
7a, 7b
6, 8
AspectSubcategory
Strategy and Analysis
Organizational Profile
Identified Material Aspects and Boundaries
3
3
G4-23Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the Scope and As-pect Boundaries
No significant changes
General Standard
Disclosures
20 2015 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
G4-24
GR indicAtors resPonse PAge
List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization. Welcome
G4-25 Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to
engage.Welcome
G4-28 January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2014
G4-29 Date of most recent previous report, if applicable
Reporting period for information provided
G4-30
2012 Report, released September of 2013
G4-31 Contact information for questions regarding the report or its contents [email protected]
G4-56 Energy and GHG’s
G4-EN3
G4-EN6
G4-EN4
Reporting Cycle Annual
Organization’s values, principles, standards and norms of behavior
Energy consumption within the organization Energy and GHG’s
Process for defining the report content and the Aspect Boundaries Energy and GHG’s
Energy consumption outside of the organization Energy and GHG’s
11, 12
3
11, 12
AspectSubcategory
Stakeholder Engagement
Report Profile
Ethics and Integrity
11, 12
11, 12
G4-EN5 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the Scope and As-pect Boundaries
Energy and GHG’s
3
11, 12
Energy
GSD Cont.
Environment
21 2015 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT GRI INDEX
G4-EN15
GR indicAtors resPonse PAge
Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1) Energy and GHG’s
G4-EN16 Energy indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 2) Energy and GHG’s
G4-EN18 Energy and GHG’s
G4-EN19 Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG’) emissions
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity
G4-EN29
Energy and GHG’s
G4-EN34 Number of grievances about environmental impacts filed, addressed, and resolved through formal grievance mechanisms None
G4-HR3 None
G4-HR10
G4-LA12
G4-LA6
Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary
sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations None
Total number of incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken
Energy consumption within the organization Supplier Assessment
Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees category according to gender, age group, minority group membership,
and other indicators of diversityInclusion
Total of injury and rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and total number of work-related fatalities, by region and by gender
Safety and wellness
11, 12
AspectSubcategory
Emissions
Compliance
Environmental Grievance
Mechanisms
14, 15
17
G4-LA7 Workers with high incidence or high risk of diseases related to their occupation
None
11, 12
16
11, 12
11, 12
Human Rights
Nondiscrimination
Supplier Human Rights
Assessment
Occupational Health and
Safety
Labor Practices
&DecentWork
Diversity and Equal
Opportunity
Labor Practices Griev-
ance Mechanisms
G4-LA16 Number of grievances about labor practices filed, addressed, and re-solved through formal grievance mechanisms
None
Supplier Assessment
for Labor Practices
G4-LA14 Percentage of new suppliers that were screened using labor practices criteria Supplier Assessment 14, 15
Environment
Social
22 2015 | CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT GRI INDEX
G4-S01
GR indicAtors resPonse PAge
Percentage of operations with implemented local community engage-
ment, impact assessments, and development programs100%
G4-SO8 Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for noncompliance with laws and regulations.
None.
G4-SO9 Supplier Assessment
G4-PR1 Percentage of significant product and service categories for which health and safety impacts are assessed for improvement
Percentage of new suppliers that were screened using criteria for im-
pacts on society
G4-PR2 Total number of instances of non-compliance with regulations and volun-tary codes concerning health and safety impacts of products and services during their life
None
G4-PR3 Design for environment/Product take back program
G4-PR7
G4-EC9
G4-PR9
Design for Environment
Type of product and service information required by the organiza-tion’s procedures for product and service information and labeling, and percentage of significant product and service categories subject to such
information requirements.
Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and volun-tary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising,
promotion, and sponsorship by type of outcomes
None
Proportion of spending on local suppliers at significant locations of
operationsLocal Purchasing
AspectSubcategory
LocalCommunities
Customer Health and
Safety
10, 11
Monetary value of significant fines for noncompliance with laws and regu-lations concerning the provision and use of products and services
None
10
14, 15
10
ProductResposibility
Product and Service
Labeling
MarketingCommunications
Compliance
ProcurementPractices
Society Compliance
Supplier Assessment
for Impacts on
societySocial
Economic