AQI Service employees, clients and all vendors and factories at which we provide services shall strictly abide by this “Code of Ethics” and associated compliance principles as published in manuals, procedures and contracts. We require that all AQI Service employees sign this policy document as a condition of employment and that all vendors and factories where we provide services to acknowledge their understanding of this policy document.
Should a factory or vendor at any time encounter an AQI Service employee or representative who requests or implies he/she would like to receive a reward, gift, favor in return for, or dependent on, the outcome of any work, or any special benefit of any kind, the factory or vendor should notify AQI Service management IMMEDIATELY by phone. A factory or vendor is never to fulfill such a request.
Integrity and Anti-bribery
AQI Service holds all of our personnel to the highest level of All AQI Service employees must read, understand, and agree to our Code of Ethics. Any employee found to violate this code will meet with strict disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
AQI Service personnel are never to accept bribes, gifts, or favors of any kind. Employees who have been made such an offer must report the occurrence to management immediately. Employees are to kindly refuse any small offerings such as individual cigarettes, tea, coffee, gum, etc., except for water.
AQI Service prohibits (a) the offering, giving, or accepting of a bribe in any form, including kickbacks on any portion of a contract payment, or (b) the use of other routes or channels for provision of improper benefits to, or receipt of improper benefits from customers, agents, contractors, suppliers, employees of any such party or government officials.
AQI Service’s work will be carried out in a professional, independent, and impartial manner at all times. All employees are to report all data, test results and other findings accurately and honestly no matter what the result, with no tolerance for any deviation from approved methods and procedures or the reporting of accurate results. AQI Service employees and the factories/vendors at which AQI Service provides services should always act in good faith. AQI Service staff and management will never attempt to influence the result of a service rendered in the interests of the company or personal gain (i.e., favoring a FAIL or HOLD result to encourage the demand for more facilities).
AQI Service and its employees shall carry out its work in accordance with all laws, legislation, and regulations of the countries in which it operates.
AQI Service encourages open and honest communication between staff and management at all. We encourage all employees to speak freely about concerns, problems, and any issues they encounter in work or personal life about which they feel the need to discuss. If an employee is unsure if there has been a violation of our Code of Ethics, he/she must contact his/her team leader or top-level management to consult. All communication after that will be kept confidential within reasonable bounds to protect the source of information. All employees are required to inform management of any condition that creates a danger to the environment, poses health or safety hazards, or maybe a violation of law or ethical conduct. AQI Service provides facilities to enable confidential reporting of such conditions.
All AQI Service work is subject to periodic audits by trained personnel regarding applicable laws, regulatory requirements, and AQI Service company policies and procedures. Corrective actions will be taken in a timely and effective manner and will be monitored, tracked and reviewed by AQI Service
AQI Service employees are prohibited from engaging in the following activities with personnel from any vendor or factory at which AQI Service performs services (even if the employee engagement is not directly involved in those services) unless there is explicit and written approval provided by the AQI Service Director of Compliance:
The consumption of any form of Attendance of KTV, Karaoke, sight-seeing, sports activity, or any leisure, Any activity outside of the normal realm of the work that AQI Service is providing. While AQI Service is a customer-centered company, it will not tolerate any breach of ethics, law, or company policy in order to satisfy customer requirements, whether stated or Any attempt to subvert this policy is to be reported to AQI Service executive management either through normal channels or the private facility. Furthermore, AQI Service will represent the interests of its clients’ only to the extent that the client’s interests are fair and reasonable. AQI Service will not take responsibility for or attempt to impose on any factory or vendor the unreasonable or unfair demands of a client.
Vendor/Factory Disagreement
Vendors and factories have the right to disagree respectfully and provide explanation and/or evidence of their position in the case that they oppose an AQI Service result or procedure. In such cases, AQI Service will make its best effort to record all such explanations/evidence and report it back to the client. Furthermore, in the case of disagreement, the vendor/factory is encouraged to write down any remarks on the appropriate acknowledgment form, which is later provided to the client. The vendor/factory may also contact directly with AQI Service management to express such concern. However, the vendor/factory should at no time raise their voice with, forcibly argue, or in any way threaten an AQI Service auditor or other employees in an attempt to express their discontent with an AQI Service employee’s judgment or to affect the outcome of a service rendered.
Confidentiality
All data and information either provided by or related to our client or client’s product is to be kept confidential at all times, other than what must be released in order to complete our Data is never to be given to any party outside of AQI Service except, as necessary, to the factories and consultants who are directly related to providing quality services to our clients. AQI Service shall treat all information received in the course of the provision of its services as business confidential to the extent that such information is not already published, generally available to third parties or otherwise in the public domain.
Conflict of Interest
AQI Service and its employees will at no time involve itself with buyers or sellers in a way that creates a conflict of interest to our mission.
AQI Service employees are prohibited from engaging in any personal business transaction with any factory, vendor, client, or supplier with which AQI Service does business or performs work with unless there is explicit written consent from AQI Service executive management. This includes but is not limited to buying from, selling to, providing services for, or working on behalf of the factory, vendor, client, or supplier.
Meal Policy
In most cases, AQI Service employees will take measures to eat on their own, not with the factory. In the case that the factory provides lunch for an AQI Service employee on-site at a factory location (take-in meal), the factory may do so if it so desires, but at no more than the value of 20 RMB per AQI Service employee. The factory is in no way requested or required to provide this service, and AQI Service employees are prohibited from requesting it. In the case that the factory takes an AQI Service employee other than executive management off-site to dine, such an event MUST be approved beforehand by a phone call from the AQI Service employee to a member of AQI Service’s senior management. As mentioned above in this document, all AQI Service employees are prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages with any factory staff.
Transportation Policy
In most cases, AQI Service employees will rely on AQI Service vehicles and public transportation to go to and from the factory. In some cases, and as reasonable, the factory may assist with transportation such as pick-up from or drop-off at the local bus station, train station, or airport. AQI Service employees shall make no unnecessary or unreasonable demands on the factory for transportation assistance. In the instance, that equally safe and secure transportation is available publicly (such as private car rental, bus, train, etc.) AQI Service employees should seek such methods first. Regarding these policy factories and vendors should, however, always act in good faith and with the concern for the AQI Service employee’s well-being, as AQI Service employees are often traveling in remote and unfamiliar areas.