Social Responsibility

Social responsibility is something we take seriously in all aspects of our business - from how our products are made, to the communities we support. Our social responsibility policy, the Exxel Outdoors Code of Conduct, has guided us since 1995 to ensure the most ethical practices, help improve working conditions, and protect the rights of people in factories around the world where our products are made.

Being socially responsible is a top priority - whether we’re partnering with vendors or providing peace of mind to our employees, customers and the community.

We are proud of our well-established Social Responsibility Program, having instituted our Code of Conduct in 1995, with continuous monitoring efforts throughout two decades. We expect dignity and ethical treatment of all factory employees who produce our products. The cornerstone of our program’s effectiveness is based on fair but strict enforcement, understanding unique factory operations, and working successfully with supplier management to facilitate process improvements affecting the worker’s quality of life.

Here is criteria forming the basis of our Code of Conduct:

• Expect and maintain high Ethical Standards
• Operate under legal Working Hour requirements
• Provide all legal Wages and Benefits
• Employ no Child Labor with age documentation of all workers
• Practice Environmental Safekeeping
• Assure Health and Safety for both factory complex and dormitories
• Abide by Legal Requirements of Country law
• Employ no Prison or Forced Labor
• Engage in Non-Discriminatory Policies
• Maintain acceptable forms of Disciplinary Practices
• Allow legal rights to Freedom of Association

We employ both an internal staff of compliance auditors and contracts independent monitors such as Bureau Veritas (BV), International Compliance Group (ICG), and UL Responsible Sourcing to conduct rigorous social compliance audits. The scope of the audits requires factories to provide detailed records including employment information, payroll and time data, and worker benefits to validate compliance. Monitoring is done on a routine and continuous basis.

Our membership utilizes the collaborative resources of Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), a valuable database tool for tracking and analysis of compliance efforts. Together with other textile industry leaders as members, the FFC is dedicated to improving workplace conditions internationally.

Following factory audits, any violation, no matter the severity, is documented on a Corrective Action Plan. The factory must commit to a plan of action and time-frame for correction. Follow-up monitoring is done to verify improvements are implemented and sustained. Plus, our internal audit team will counsel and train factories, advising on solutions to pending issues. Our view in developing safe and humane work environments is not merely to audit and monitor –but to train and educate for continuous improvement. This creates a long term successful relationship.

We accepts factories that are certified through Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP). We have found this organization’s monitoring criteria to be aligned with our goals, and factories completing WRAP certification have well-implemented human rights practices. Certified factories must undergo periodic audits by independent monitors to maintain their WRAP status.

Video Footage provided by Shilla Bags International

Exxel Outdoors’ mission is to help create memorable life experiences in the outdoors. Diversity and Inclusion is important to us as everyone should equally have access and celebrate the outdoors. They’re more than just words for us. Mutual Respect is a core value at Exxel. Creating a culture of Equality isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing. Diverse companies are more innovative and better positioned to succeed. We continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our employees and our customers.