Zero Harm: Ethical Recruitment

Approximately 70% of our workforce in Malaysia comprises migrant workers from various countries. We recognise that the recruitment practices in place may be abused thus exposing our workers to risks, such as modern-day slavery and exploitation. For this reason, we have been actively seeking solutions to enhance the migration experience of our workers through Responsible Recruitment practices, which include:

No Recruitment fees – Our core principle of zero-cost means no worker should pay for a job. SD Guthrie shall bear all the costs of recruitment. Since 2020, the Group has reimbursed most of our foreign workers currently employed who may have paid recruitment fees to secure employment with the Group. Past recruitment fees (unreported payments charged by agents, sub-agents or other third parties to SD Guthrie’s foreign workers in countries of origin, in contravention of SD Guthrie’s zero recruitment fee policy) have been reimbursed to former workers.
No retention of documents – We do not withhold or retain workers' passports or personal documents.
No contract substitution – Workers’ agreements to the terms and conditions of recruitment and employment are entirely voluntary and free from any form of deception or coercion. Contracts cannot be altered or changed without the worker’s full knowledge, understanding, and voluntary agreement.

We appoint ethical recruitment agents and protect workers from any form of coercion, intimidation or deception in the process of seeking employment in SD Guthrie.

Recruitment policies, processes and practices have effective due diligence systems in place to ensure ethical recruitment.

All workers are in possession of their own personal documents and have individual, secure lockers within their own accommodation to keep them.

Responsible Recruitment Programme

SD Guthrie is involved in the entire hiring process: from quota approvals, recruitment drives at the country of origin, immigration clearance, and self-pick-ups at the Malaysian airport.

Our dedicated Workforce Management Teams conduct recruitment drives in the villages and recruitment centres in origin countries to promote our job vacancies, conduct interviews, and select potential workers. Our presence at all key stages ensures workers are given clear explanations about the Company and the nature of work offered throughout the process. Our recruitment materials are produced in-house, enriched with clear visuals on the actual work conditions in relevant native languages. Our contracts are also translated into native languages with terms aligned with national and local collective bargaining agreements. Each worker is provided with a copy of the contract, and any revisions are socialised with clear explanations provided.

Where it is necessary to engage the services of local recruitment agents in origin countries, a comprehensive due diligence process is undertaken to ensure recruitment agents we work with are ethical and transparent. The selection of recruitment agents is conducted via an open tender process which includes a comprehensive briefing on all SD Guthrie's requirements and labour standards and practices, that all agents are required to adhere to.

Recruitment Agents must undergo training and mentoring programmes to identify key management practices that promote ethical recruitment and practical solutions to encourage implementation.

Agents must understand SD Guthrie's requirements and implement best practices and undertake remedial efforts.

A review on the practical implementation of Zero-Cost or Employer Pays Principle was conducted to ensure SD Guthrie pays specific costs. We conducted a mapping of the migration route to understand what some of the costs workers incur are. Thus, SD Guthrie implements a No Recruitment Cost policy defined by the International Labour Organisation's General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment and definition of recruitment fees and related costs. Practical controls are in place to ensure that we do not inadvertently support any form of illegitimate, unreasonable and undisclosed costs within our supply chain. Our procedures are outlined in our Responsible Recruitment Policy.

Enhancing freedom of movement

All workers have the right to freedom of movement when living and working in our operations. SD Guthrie does not withhold or retain any of our workers' identification documents, including their passports.

All our foreign workers in our operations are provided with individual safe lockers in their living quarters to keep all their personal documents.

In the event that passports are required to be submitted to the authorities, for example, to process visas or work permits, a letter of consent from workers is obtained after clearly explaining the reasons for submission, the duration of the process and the expected return date of their passport.

Fire and Haze Management

Monitoring Deforestation

Safety and health