Ethical Guidelines are part of Mint of Finland Group’s corporate responsibility principles
Mint of Finland has adopted common principles for its operations in Finland and Germany. We require each of our employees to comply with our Ethical Guidelines in their daily work.
Mint of Finland’s Ethical Guidelines define the ethical standards that determine the company’s operations vis à vis human rights, equality, work safety, conflicts of interest, environment, stakeholders and customers.
1. Compliance with the law and statutes
We are committed to compliance with national and international law, statutes and generally accepted principles and practices in all our operations. We respect the norms of different cultures and legal practices in all places of business. In cases and situations requiring interpretation, we resort to expert help.
2. Principles governing business operations
In our business operations, we comply with ethical and honest principles and act openly and transparently. Our operations are based on shared objectives and we respect the promises we make to our customers and stakeholders.
3. Fair operating principles with stakeholders
Mint of Finland has many stakeholders and we have identified the following as key stakeholders: customers, personnel, owner, service providers, media and the public.
Stakeholder work is a continuous process for Mint of Finland and one which is constantly developing to better respond to the expectations of each stakeholder. Open dialogue plays a key role in enabling Mint of Finland to understand the activities and expectations of stakeholders in all situations.
Mint of Finland is an advocate of responsible ways of doing business and fair competition. We promote ethical ways of working and comply with local legislation. We do not give financial support to political parties.
Mint of Finland has zero tolerance for corruption and bribery. Mint of Finland does not allow the offering or acceptance of gifts, benefits, payments, hospitality which can reasonably be expected to affect business or which go beyond normal hospitality. The limits of these are defined in more details in the Mint of Finland guidelines for gifts and hospitality. Gifts must not involve any obligation. Local legislation, including bribery laws, must be complied with at all times.
We expect our employees to act in the interest of the company at all times and to refrain from business relations that might lead to conflict of interests. Our employees may not initiate personal or financial acts that might conflict with our company’s obligations.
Suppliers are an important and vital part of the Group’s supply chain. We require suppliers to adhere to high standards regarding legal, ethical, environmental, labour and human rights. Mint of Finland itself complies with and promotes the standards above and requires compliance with these standards among its subcontractors and oversees suppliers’ operations also in this respect. We have prepared a Business Partner Code of Conduct – for both our suppliers as well as representatives – that defines our fair operating practices.
4. Human rights
We respect and comply with the principles of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Mint of Finland is not party to any breaches of human rights nor does the company accept child abuse in any form.
As an employer, our company respects workers’ fundamental rights as defined by the International Labour Organisation.
We respect workplace equality and the basic rights of employees. We promise to treat all employees and job applicants fairly and equally. We recruit employees on the basis of competence and professional ability. We appreciate the experience and diversity of our personnel. We encourage our personnel to state their opinion and to promote open dialogue. We offer our employees equal opportunities to develop their expertise. We do not accept any kind of inappropriate behaviour such as harassment, bullying or discrimination.
Our principles include showing appreciation and building a well-functioning workplace community. At Mint of Finland, each employee bears responsibility for our common success. We strive to be an example to colleagues and to making our company the most appreciated innovator in the sector.
5. Safety at work
Mint of Finland has a zero tolerance of accidents. We aim to prevent risks related to physical and mental health and workplace injuries. We particularly striving to impact on attitudes to build a safe working environment and we encourage employees to continuously develop themselves in this respect. We are active to minimise risks originating in the workplace environment. By maintaining our employees’ health and systems enabling their working capacity, we seek to identify and prevent any threatening or problem situations and also to react promptly to them. We strive to increase our awareness of how the action of each and every employee impacts on the safety and wellbeing of the workplace community. We share responsibility for the safety of our working environment and our wellbeing in the workplace.
6. Company property
Security is pivotal to the company’s operations. Mint of Finland’s main line of business is the manufacture of circulation coins, blanks and collector coins from basic and precious metals. The company approaches security from the technical, transport and information security perspective.
It is important to safeguard the company’s property, which includes raw materials, tools, equipment and immaterial assets. Employees may only use Mint of Finland’s property for legal business purposes and must protect it from damage and unauthorised use. Mint of Finland’s property must under no circumstances be used unlawfully or contrary to legal provisions. It is forbidden to remove coins and blanks from the factory without the relevant permission.
7. Environment
Mint of Finland has quality and environmental principles. The company defines the annual targets which seek to improve the environmental impacts of operations by minimising emissions ending up in the waterways, air and soil. We aim to achieve environmentally sustainable development in all our operations. We seek to recycle all waste with the ultimate aim of our products being fully recyclable throughout their lifecycle. In addition, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our transport.
8. Ethical guidelines in practice
Our ethical guidelines apply to all company employees. Violation of these guidelines may result in disciplinary action. Our employees are required to report any violations of the guidelines that come to their attention to a supervisor, a member of the company’s Whistleblowing team or to the Mint of Finland’s Whistleblowing channel. We will investigate the reports carefully and confidentially, and necessary actions will be taken as a result. Making a report in good faith will not have any negative consequences for the notifier. The rights and privacy of the notifier shall be adequately protected during the proceedings.
The Mint of Finland Board of Directors have approved these guidelines. The company ensures compliance with the guidelines by communicating and training the personnel about the content of the instructions and monitoring their implementation as part of daily operations.