We Treat Our Employees with Dignity and Respect
We achieve our goals through our people. We provide a safe workplace and value the unique contributions of our global team, enabling those who support Cargill’s goals to achieve their own individual potential. We are committed to respecting the human rights of Cargill employees and all those whose livelihoods we touch.
Health and Safety
We believe all jobs can be done safely. Workplaces with zero injuries and fatalities are possible. Ensuring everyone returns home safely from work every day is core to our operations. We expect an unwavering commitment to these goals from all Cargill leaders, employees and contractors.
This commitment requires that we:
- Comply with all health and safety laws
- Comply with our own safety requirements that often go beyond the legal ones
- Continuously improve our safety performance through learning from others, both inside and outside our organization
- Establish aggressive safety goals
- Recognize people for improving safety processes
- Insist on a culture that requires all work, however urgent, be done safely
All employees must follow health and safety laws and company requirements that apply to their jobs. Take precautions to protect yourself, your fellow employees and visitors. Report any incidents, unsafe practices or security issues you witness to your manager. Cargill managers must ensure that everyone they supervise receives training, programs and resources to do their jobs safely. They must also ensure that the design and processes of our facilities enable safe working conditions.
Review Cargill’s Environment, Health and Safety Policy and the Cargill EHS Policy Manual for guidance.
Human Rights
Our commitment to human rights is fundamental to our Guiding Principles. Respecting these rights aligns with our values of doing the right thing and putting people first. Our Human Rights Policy ensures that we:
- Conduct our business activities while keeping in mind the health and safety of those whose lives we touch
- Respect the rights of workers to form or join a legally recognized labor organization, if they choose, without fear of reprisal, intimidation or harassment
- Treat all workers with dignity and respect, and provide an emotionally and psychologically safe and inclusive working environment
- Provide competitive, fair and equitable pay, which includes a living wage that supports our employees and their families
- Comply with applicable working hours laws, including overtime hours
- Act to eliminate any form of forced labor—and work to eradicate child labor—from our own operations and supply chains
- Respect land resources and tenure rights for everyone, especially for Indigenous people, local communities and ethnic or minority groups
Strength Through Diversity
Cargill embraces the variety of backgrounds and life experiences our employees bring to work. Our workforce offers the perspectives of a lot of different social groups. They include genders, languages, local customs, physical abilities, races, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, life experiences and socio-economic statuses. We also vary in our personal styles of thinking, expressing ourselves and problem-solving.
As a vital part of being a successful and effective global organization, we:
- Respect the diversity of humanity
- Accept our differences
- Recognize that our own way of thinking is not the only way
- Acknowledge that the diverse viewpoints that result from varied backgrounds are not weaknesses but are in fact strengths
- Serve the needs of our global organization and diverse customer base
We provide equal employment opportunities to all existing and prospective employees. This means we make our employment decisions without regard to personal characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, color, gender, age, disability or other characteristics protected by law. Illegal discrimination and retaliation against anyone for either sharing a concern, reporting misconduct, or participating in an investigation are not tolerated at Cargill. This applies to the way we treat each other, our customers, and anyone with whom we interact or do business.
Review Cargill’s Global Anti-Discrimination Policy and the anti-discrimination/equal employment opportunity policies at your location for guidance.
Q & A
I supervise an employee who recently converted to another religion. We used to belong to the same congregation, and I don’t agree with her decision. She is asking for time off for religious observance. What are my obligations here?
You have an obligation to provide reasonable accommodation for religious observance. It would be an abuse of your discretion to discriminate or harass her in any way because you don’t agree with her decision to convert. We respect each other’s religious choices, even if they contrast with our own.
Harassment
We do not tolerate harassment in any form. This applies to how we treat each other, our customers, and anyone with whom we interact or do business. We conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with our values of putting people first and doing the right thing, and we adhere to applicable laws. Review Cargill’s Global Anti-Harassment Policy for guidance.
Did You Know?
Harassment is unwelcome conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment by targeting a personal characteristic that is protected by law, such as race, gender, disability and the like. This can be physical, verbal (such as insults, jokes and offensive remarks), written, electronic or online/social media behavior.
Examples of sexual harassment may include:
- Inappropriate jokes or comments, relating to gender, appearance, attraction or sex
- Unwanted sexual attention and conduct, including emails, in-person conversations and/or text messages
- Unwanted sexual proposition or expression
- Unwanted touching
- Promises of special treatment in exchange for sexual acts, or that employment is contingent upon committing sexual acts
If you experience or see harassment, report it immediately to a manager or Human Resources. You may also submit a confidential report to MyHR or the Ethics Open Line.
Q & A
I started working on a new team and immediately noticed that a co-worker tells sexual jokes and uses sexual gestures in the workplace. The co-worker just came up and rubbed my back and made me feel very uncomfortable. What should I do?
These behaviors are unacceptable and may also constitute sexual harassment, which is prohibited by Cargill’s policies. You should report these behaviors to your manager or Human Resources, or by submitting a ticket request through MyHR or an Ethics Open Line report.
Violence-Free Workplace
Everyone has a right to work in a safe workplace. This includes one that is free of acts and threats of violence. We do not tolerate acts or threats of violence by employees or third parties. We take all reports of violence seriously.
Everyone must help maintain a violence-free workplace. In cases of imminent danger, call the police. If you experience or witness an act or threat of violence, report it to Human Resources, any manager or the police. You may also use MyHR or Cargill’s Ethics Open Line.
Review Cargill’s Violence-Free Workplace Policy for guidance.
Q & A
I saw one of my co-workers confront another one. She was enraged and slammed her fist on the desk. She then yelled a violent threat at him. Could a threat count as violence that violates our Code?
Yes, the threat and the intimidating fist slamming would all fall under the prohibition of violence under our Code.
Alcohol and Drugs
Cargill provides a safe and secure workplace. The misuse of drugs, alcohol and other controlled substances on the job or at job-related events is prohibited.
We expect employees to be free from the influence of intoxicating substances while working on our behalf. Manufacturing, soliciting, distributing, possessing or using unauthorized drugs, alcohol and other controlled substances at Cargill locations is also prohibited. Alcoholic beverages may be served at company-approved social functions in accordance with our drug and alcohol policy. If you are taking prescription medication that could impair your ability to work or pose a threat to safety, consult with Human Resources, your manager, local Environment, Health & Safety personnel and/or the Company medical service (where it exists). Your prescription/medical information will be kept confidential, in accordance with Cargill policy.
Review Cargill’s Alcohol and Drug Policy for your location for guidance.
Q&A
A worker I supervise has been slipping in productivity. After I questioned her, she broke down in tears, saying she feared she had a drinking problem. What should I do?
We care about the well-being of all our employees. We cannot, of course, tolerate drinking alcohol on the job. But we do offer help for those who are ready to receive it. Consult with the Human Resources Department for resources to share with the employee.