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Essay / Lego Social Responsibility - 1087
They have a code of conduct, just like most big companies, but what's different is that they carry out third party audits to ensure they are adhering to this code. It starts with ownership and management all the way to suppliers. Every person who has anything to do with Lego sees this code and signs the agreement. When third-party auditors travel to each of the different regions around the world, they check for compliance. In one such case, a supplier in China did not and would not comply with Lego's code. Lego withdrew until it complied. This supply company made workers work 4 times the legal overtime, then punished them when they had to use the restroom. They worked 6-7 days a week with very little pay and didn't pay them for weeks. (Chamberlain, 2011) Looking at their factories, Lego uses robots to manage daily operations. By using robots, the safety factor is reduced to some extent as there is no loss of life if something catastrophic happens. The level of employee motivation and satisfaction is what Lego uses to ensure they are doing the right thing. Additionally, by diversifying their workforce, there is greater opportunity to resolve and adapt change within the business.