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Ethical Supply Chain

The garment industry is one of the most labour-intensive sectors in the world—and unfortunately, one of the most vulnerable to human rights abuses. From forced labour and unsafe working conditions to child exploitation and wage theft, the risks are real and widespread.

At Deane, we’ve always believed that the best uniforms are made not just with quality materials, but also with respect for people at every step of the way. That’s why we’re taking bold, transparent steps to eliminate human rights risks across our supply chain.

What We’re Doing About It

Our Supplier Code of Conduct

Deane’s Supplier Code of Conduct is the cornerstone of our ethical sourcing strategy. It sets out the minimum standards we expect from every supplier, subcontractor, and factory we work with—covering everything from wages and working hours to health and safety, non-discrimination, and freedom of association.

Grounded in internationally recognised frameworks like the Ethical Trading Initiative, ILO conventions, and the UN Global Compact, the Code prohibits forced labour, child labour, and any form of abuse or harassment. It also requires suppliers to provide written contracts in languages workers understand, ensure safe working conditions, and uphold transparency across all tiers of the supply chain.

Compliance is monitored through regular audits, grievance mechanisms, and direct engagement with suppliers to ensure that every worker is treated fairly, safely, and with dignity.

SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCT

Auditing - Working Conditions Assessment

To ensure our garments are made in safe, ethical environments, Deane partners with Intertek—one of the world’s leading social compliance audit firms—to conduct independent factory audits through the Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA) programme.

This globally recognised framework evaluates our partner factories across four key pillars: Labour, Environment, Wages & Hours, and Health & Safety. Audits cover everything from legal compliance and environmental management to emergency preparedness, machine safety, and chemical handling. Audits also assess critical human rights indicators such as child and forced labour, discrimination, harassment, and freedom of association. Each audit includes worker feedback, documentation reviews, and a corrective action process to drive continuous improvement.

Our Modern Slavery Position Statement

We believe that freedom from slavery is a fundamental human right. Our Modern Slavery Position Statement outlines the actions we are taking to identify, assess, and address the risks of modern slavery across our operations and global supply chain.

We recognise that as a business sourcing from high-risk regions, we have a responsibility to ensure that every person connected to our products is treated with dignity and respect.

Modern slavery includes exploitative practices such as forced labour, human trafficking, debt bondage, and child labour. While our direct operations in New Zealand and Australia are considered low risk, we remain vigilant—especially in our procurement of goods and services from external suppliers.

Our approach is guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and supported by our parent company, Alsco Group. We are committed to transparency, continuous improvement, and collaboration with our suppliers to eliminate modern slavery risks and uphold ethical labour practices at every level.

DEANE'S MODERN SLAVERY POSITION STATEMENT

Deane Apparel’s position statement is voluntary and has not been submitted to the Australian Modern Slavery Register. Our parent company, Alsco Uniforms, has submitted a statement in accordance with the Australian Modern Slavery Act 20018 (Cth) behalf of our group. At the time of writing, Alsco Uniforms’ statement is pending approval for publication.

Our Supplier Environmental Policy

We believe that protecting the planet is just as important as protecting people. That’s why we’re committed to reducing our environmental footprint across every stage of our operations—from fibre to finished garment.

We work closely with our suppliers to uphold high environmental standards across energy use, water management, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing. All suppliers are required to sign our Supplier Environmental Policy, confirming their commitment to these standards and agreeing to regular assessments and continuous improvement programmes. This includes monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, minimising water consumption, managing wastewater safely, and avoiding landfill through circular material practices.

SUPPLIER ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY