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Partnership Guidelines

As a company, we believe the impact we have on our employees, customers and communities extends well beyond our operations. When we think about the value we offer to the world, we know that it's critical to protect the environment, give back to the communities we serve, and create safe and fair workplaces for the people who make our products.
To achieve our goal of always providing the best-value product in the most equitable manner, we have established standards for our business suppliers to ensure we partner with suppliers that share our commitment to quality products, quality business principles and quality community relationships.
COMPLIANCE WITH THE PARTNERSHIP GUIDELINES: These Partnership Guidelines contain the minimum standards that must be met by all agents, vendors, manufacturers, factories, warehouses and subcontractors ("Suppliers") that do business with Nordstrom, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries ("Nordstrom" or the "Company"). Suppliers must comply with the standards set out in these Partnership Guidelines throughout their operations and their entire supply chain. This means a Supplier is responsible for ensuring all its suppliers, vendors, agents, warehouses, factories and subcontractors comply with these Partnership Guidelines. Suppliers must ensure they have adequate and effective policies, procedures, trainings and record-keeping practices in place to ensure their compliance and the compliance of their supply chains.
Supplier contracts may contain more specific provisions addressing some of the same issues detailed in these Partnership Guidelines. To the extent there is any inconsistency between these Partnership Guidelines and a provision of a particular Supplier contract, the more specific contract provision will control. Nordstrom will review and may terminate its relationship with any Supplier that is unable to demonstrate its compliance with these Partnership Guidelines or contractual requirements.
COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS: In addition to complying with these Partnership Guidelines, Suppliers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the United States and the countries in which they do business, including the country of manufacture or exportation. In addition, Nordstrom expects its Suppliers to comply with applicable sections of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Fair Labor Standards Act (Department of Labor Monitoring Guide), International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions, and the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
ANTI-CORRUPTION: Suppliers must comply with all applicable laws relating to bribery, money laundering and/or corruption, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act of Canada and the U.K. Bribery Act. Suppliers must not directly or indirectly offer or give money or anything of value to any foreign official for the purposes of obtaining or retaining business or to secure an improper advantage. "Foreign officials" include foreign government officials, foreign political parties or their officials, candidates for foreign political office, or foreign organizations and their employees if the foreign organization is owned in whole or in part by a foreign government.
Nordstrom also prohibits commercial bribery. Suppliers must not directly or indirectly offer or give money or anything of value to any representative of another company to secure an improper advantage.
Suppliers must keep an accurate, written accounting of all payments relating to Suppliers' engagement with Nordstrom. If requested, Suppliers must provide Nordstrom with a copy of this accounting or assist Nordstrom with any activities required by any government or agency.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Suppliers must not take any action or enter into any transactions with Nordstrom employees that could create or give the appearance of a conflict of interest. A Supplier must disclose to Nordstrom if it has a family or other close personal relationship with any Nordstrom employee who has influence over the Supplier's engagement with Nordstrom. Suppliers should also refrain from giving Nordstrom employees gifts, unless they are of nominal value which is generally considered to be $100 in a calendar year. Gifts of cash or cash equivalents such as gift cards should never be given to Nordstrom employees.
PROTECTING NORDSTROM INFORMATION: Suppliers may be given access to confidential Nordstrom information as part of their engagement with Nordstrom. All information about Nordstrom that is not public should be considered confidential information. Suppliers must have appropriate security controls in place to adequately protect Nordstrom's confidential information and must not disclose it without Nordstrom's prior written consent. This includes Nordstrom's trademarks, logos and proprietary work, which may only be used to fulfill contracted services. Suppliers also must not share with anyone at Nordstrom the confidential information of any other company if the Supplier is under a contractual or legal obligation not to share that information.
GLOBAL TRADE: Suppliers must comply with all applicable laws regulating global trade, including U.S. and Canada Customs importing laws. Suppliers must also establish programs and maintain documentation to support country-of-origin production verification and preferential trade claims. Suppliers must comply with international supply-chain security requirements and criteria per U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Canada Partners in Protection (PIP).
CHILD LABOR: Suppliers must not employ anyone under the age of 15, under the minimum age as established by applicable local law or under the age of completing compulsory education, whichever is older. Suppliers must not expose anyone under the age of 18 to situations that are hazardous, unsafe or unhealthy, and must provide adequate protection from exposure to such conditions and materials. Suppliers must also have established procedures for age verification as part of their hiring process. Refer to ILO Conventions 138 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
FORCED LABOR: Suppliers must not use involuntary labor of any kind, including prison labor; indentured labor; bonded labor; labor obtained through human trafficking, coercion or slavery; or labor defined as forced labor under any United States law. Practices that restrict employees' freedom of movement or ability to voluntarily terminate employment are prohibited. Suppliers must not withhold identity documents, financial guarantees or other valuable items as means to bind workers to employment. Refer to ILO Conventions 29 & 105.
HARASSMENT & ABUSE: Suppliers must treat every person with dignity and respect. All workers must not be subject to physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse. Suppliers must not use monetary fines as a disciplinary practice. Furthermore, people of all genders must be free to voice concerns to Suppliers, Nordstrom or Nordstrom-appointed staff without fear of retaliation by Supplier management. Refer to UN Guiding Principles 29 & 31.
WAGES &BENEFITS: Suppliers must pay all wages, overtime and legally mandated benefits regularly, on time, with documentation and accordance with applicable laws. Suppliers must pay at least the minimum wage, the industry wage or the wage negotiated in a collective agreement, whichever is higher. Suppliers must not deduct wages that are not provided for by applicable local law. Suppliers are encouraged to pay employees of all genders a wage that not only meets basic needs but also provides discretionary income. Refer to ILO Conventions 95 & 131.
HOURS & OVERTIME: Suppliers should not allow working hours that exceed the applicable legal limit or 60 hours per week, whichever is less. Overtime work should be voluntary and compensated at the rate required by local law. Suppliers must ensure their workers are not penalized, punished or dismissed for refusing to work more than the regular work limits. Workers should be allowed one day off in seven. Suppliers must keep accurate time records. Suppliers must follow the U.S. Department of Labor's Preventative Measures to Avoid Receiving Hot Goods guidelines. Refer to ILO Convention 14.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Suppliers must provide safe, hygienic and healthy working conditions. This includes written standards that comply with local laws. This includes safety standards related to building structure, electrical safety, fire safety, chemical safety, sanitation, emergency preparedness, first aid, personal protective equipment and other safety policies. Suppliers must not expose anyone to situations that are hazardous, unsafe or unhealthy, and must provide adequate protection from exposure to such conditions and materials. Refer to ILO Convention 187.
NONDISCRIMINATION: Suppliers must not discriminate in employment practices, including recruiting, hiring and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, regardless of sex, race, color, national origin, social or ethnic origin, religion, age, marital status, partnership status, pregnancy, parental status, physical or mental disability, political opinion, personal characteristics or beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any basis protected by local law. Refer to ILO Conventions 100 & 111.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Suppliers must respect all workers' rights (regardless of gender) to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Refer to ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 154.
ENVIRONMENT: Suppliers must comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations in the country of operation. In addition, Suppliers must have policies and procedures in place to manage and minimize environmental impacts to energy, air, emissions, waste and water, and to safely store, prevent or mitigate releases of chemicals and hazardous materials. Suppliers are prohibited from destroying unsold goods or deadstock and are required to find a next-step use through donation, resale or upcycling. Waste-to-energy programs are not an alternative, with the exception of products that pose a health or safety risk.
CONFLICT MINERALS &THE KIMBERLEY PROCESS: Suppliers must comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to responsible sourcing, including the sourcing of Conflict Minerals and diamonds. Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act relates to the responsible sourcing of Conflict Minerals, which include: tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (collectively "3TG") mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or its adjoining countries. Under Section 1502, applicable Suppliers must confirm the source of 3TG used in their products. Suppliers agree to satisfy any reporting requirements they have under Section 1502 and to also provide information requested by Nordstrom so that Nordstrom may satisfy its reporting obligations under Section 1502. The Kimberley Process resolution relates to the responsible sourcing of diamonds and requires that Suppliers guarantee that diamonds are conflict-free based on personal knowledge or a written guarantee provided by the supplier of the diamonds and stated on all invoices. See our Conflict Mineral Policy for more details.
ANIMAL WELFARE: Suppliers must adhere to codes of practice that meet or exceed expectations that animals are treated ethically and responsibly, based on the internationally accepted "Five Freedoms" for animal welfare. Nordstrom will no longer sell products made with genuine animal fur or exotic animal skins by the end of 2021. See our Exotic Animal Skin and Fur Free Policy for more details.
INSPECTION: Suppliers understand that Nordstrom reserves the right to audit or inspect Suppliers' practices or facilities, including Suppliers' factories, mills and other subcontractors, to ensure compliance with these Partnership Guidelines. This includes regular onsite inspections of all Nordstrom Made Suppliers' factories and mills. Suppliers must be transparent, maintain accurate documentation on file and allow Nordstrom representatives and designated third-party monitors to engage in announced and unannounced monitoring activities, including confidential worker interviews to be conducted with all genders.
CHANGE OF CONTROL AND SUBCONTRACTING (Nordstrom Made Suppliers Only): Nordstrom Made Suppliers must notify Nordstrom in writing if ownership, location, sale, purchase or control of any factory that houses Nordstrom production changes. Any of the above changes requires the factory information to be updated and the factory to be audited before starting production. In addition, Nordstrom Made Suppliers must not subcontract any portion of the manufacturing process without the written approval of Nordstrom prior to starting production.
REPORTING VIOLATIONS: Suppliers must immediately report to Nordstrom any violations of these Partnership Guidelines. Suppliers who believe that a Nordstrom employee, or anyone working on Nordstrom’s behalf, has engaged in illegal or otherwise improper conduct must also immediately report the matter to Nordstrom. Concerns should be reported by visiting www.npg.ethicspoint.com or by calling toll-free 1.844.852.4175.