Policy Letters and Directives

At Ford, Policy Letters establish a framework of broad, basic principles within which the company conducts its business globally. Corporate Directives provide more in-depth information on narrower topics than Policy Letters, and therefore may only apply to a particular segment of the business or to specific activities. In addition to Policy Letters and Directives, numerous descriptions of business practices, handbooks, guidelines and statements of business standards govern the conduct of personnel globally.

The following are Ford standards with particular relevance to sustainability.

Human Rights

Ford’s commitment to human rights is embodied in our Code of Human Rights, Basic Working Conditions and Corporate Responsibility, which forms the foundation for work within our own operations and our supply chain. This code articulates our commitments on key human and labor rights issues.

First adopted in 2003 as the Code of Basic Working Conditions, this code was more formally issued as Policy Letter 24 in 2007. In early 2012, Policy Letter 24 was revised and its title was changed to the Code of Human Rights, Basic Working Conditions and Corporate Responsibility.

Policy Letter 24 is based on fundamental elements of internationally recognized labor standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Labour Organization Covenants, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the United Nations’ Global Compact Principles, the Global Sullivan Principles, and standards of the Fair Labor Association and International Metalworkers’ Federation. Ford encourages businesses throughout our supply chain to adopt and enforce similar policies, and seeks to identify and do business with organizations that conduct business to standards that are consistent with Policy Letter 24. See Setting Requirements for Sustainability Issues in Our Supplier Contracts and Guides for more information.

Policy Letter 24 covers workplace and recruitment issues such as working hours, child labor and forced labor, health and safety, harassment and discrimination, and freedom of association. It also reflects our increasingly integrated approach to managing human rights and community issues by articulating our commitments on several key issues that extend beyond the fence lines of our facilities, including community engagement and indigenous populations, bribery and corruption, and environment and sustainability.

One of the aims of the early 2012 revision to Policy Letter 24 was to develop an implementation plan for the “protect, respect and remedy” framework designed by John Ruggie, Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary General on business and human rights at the international level. Ford is implementing many of these recommendations, and we are using the framework to benchmark our own strategies and to integrate the principles into the assessment process. The Policy also includes a commitment to work with local, indigenous people on sustainable water use, and language to specifically address human trafficking. In previous versions of Policy Letter 24, Ford considered human trafficking to be a potential element of “forced labor.” However, given the California law requiring disclosure on supply chain due diligence related to forced labor and human trafficking, we felt it important to make our definition of forced labor and human trafficking more explicit to our suppliers and stakeholders. See Forced Labor and Human Trafficking in Supply Chains for more information.

Finally, Policy Letter 24 – consistent with our Global Terms and Conditions – communicates our encouragement of suppliers to adopt and enforce similar policies for their suppliers and subcontractors. We actively promote and assess implementation of sustainable policies and practices in our own operations and in our supply chain. The performance criteria for assessments of Ford-owned facilities and facilities operated by Ford now address several key community issues and evaluate engagement with members of the local community. The key community issues include environmental impact, local environmental concerns, social performance, volunteerism, philanthropy, and commitment to all local citizens, indigenous populations and community groups.

We encourage personnel who have a good-faith belief that there may have been a violation of this Policy to report it through established channels or to Ford’s Office of the General Counsel. These reports are then forwarded to the Global Manager of Social Sustainability, who takes action to clarify, validate and correct the situation, if necessary. No retaliatory actions are taken against individuals who report concerns about violations of Policy Letter 24.

Diversity

We are committed to equal opportunity in all aspects of our business and to fostering diversity in our work force. Our Policy Letter and Directives relating to diversity address equal opportunity and require that there be no disparate treatment because of race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or veteran status, and other factors that may be covered by local law. We recognize that diversity in our work force is a valuable asset, and we strive to provide an inclusive work environment in which different ideas, perspectives and beliefs are respected.

Bribery and Corruption

Our Policy Letters and Directives help set ethical standards within Ford. It is our policy to never pay bribes nor to allow others to pay bribes on our behalf, and to comply fully with the laws of each country in which we do business. Our personnel are directed to immediately report any requests or solicitations for an improper payment through our company reporting system.

Political Contributions

Ford’s Policy Letter on governmental relationships covers issues relating to public policy and political contributions. These issues are discussed in depth in the Public Policy section.

Customer Satisfaction and Safety

Ford has several policy statements aimed at increasing the quality of our products and promoting the safety of our customers. Our Policy Letter on quality sets the foundation for a process that emphasizes the importance of quality in everything we do and notes that the customer defines quality. It establishes a Quality Operating System and the use of metrics and data to make decisions. Our Policy Letter on vehicle safety sets forth Ford’s commitment to design and build vehicles that meet or exceed applicable laws and regulations, and to advance the state of the art in safety wherever practicable. We strive for continuous improvement in vehicle safety, which applies to accident avoidance attributes as well as occupant protection systems. This policy requires that we will be demonstrably active and responsible in all areas of automotive safety, including vehicle design and manufacture, operator behavior and the highway environment.

Environment and Employee Health and Safety

Our policies on employee health and safety and the global environment make it clear that sustainable economic development is important to the future welfare of Ford and society in general. Protecting these things is an important consideration in the business decisions we make and an integral part of our business planning processes. Our products, services, processes and facilities are planned and operated to incorporate relevant objectives and targets that are periodically reviewed to minimize, to the extent practical, the creation of waste, pollution, and any adverse impact on employee health, safety or the environment. Protection of health, safety and the environment is a company-wide responsibility of employees at all levels.

Privacy

The trust and confidence of our customers are important to Ford Motor Company and essential to building long-term relationships and delivering excellent products and personalized services. The company recognizes that customers, employees and others have concerns about privacy and expect us to protect and handle personal information responsibly.

Ford is committed to implementing responsible privacy and data-handling practices. The company’s Policy Letters and related Directives are designed to ensure the continuing trust and confidence of individuals who entrust us with personal information.

Social Media Interactions

We encourage responsible employee participation in social media – such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, as well as blogs and other web-based discussion forums – and have developed a set of digital participation guidelines for our employees. A version of the guidelines is available publicly. We also use online training to educate our nonmanufacturing work force about the use of social media and the need to communicate honestly and respectfully in connection with our business.