PVH

PVH displays a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. In addition to being a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the company has established a gender strategy that goes beyond general support for diversity and inclusion to include an organisation-wide commitment to gender representation. The company also aims to support women’s empowerment in the supply chain and has established targets to develop women’s professional and life skills and support their parenting needs as well as advance living wage agreements among its suppliers. Furthermore, it has identified a chief risk officer who leads the sustainability strategy and holds responsibility for gender equality and women’s empowerment at the company. No information was found regarding whether PVH engages its own employees, for instance by conducting surveys, or external stakeholders on gender issues.

The company has a gender-responsive grievance mechanism that reflects an understanding of gender roles and the inequalities women face in the workplace, for instance guaranteeing confidentiality, allowing concerns to be reported anonymously to someone other than the direct supervisor via a telephone line or website, and ensuring non-retaliation and protection of the aggrieved party. Supply chain workers can also access the company’s grievance mechanism, which allows concerns to be reported in 15 languages. Furthermore, suppliers are required to have their own local grievance mechanisms in place.

PVH screens for gender-related issues among its suppliers as part of its audit processes, including sexual harassment, gender-based violence and intimidation as well as retaliation or violence against trade union members. It also requires corrective action to be taken if these issues are identified.

PVH shows little consideration for the fair representation of women across the workforce broadly. While the company’s workforce is 67% female, women are underrepresented on its board of directors (33%) and among senior executives (25%). No information was found regarding the gender balance of the company’s senior or middle management, its workforce across occupational function or the gender breakdown of employee turnover or absenteeism rates. While the company aims to achieve gender parity in leadership positions by 2030, there was no information available on whether the company offers its employees professional development opportunities.

PVH has committed to creating pathways to opportunity and choice for women in its supply chain. However, there is limited information regarding how the company addresses the systemic discrimination that women face, for example by requiring suppliers to have a policy in place that explicitly protects pregnant and married women workers. Though there was no information found regarding recognition agreements with local trade unions or collective bargaining agreements currently in place, PVH requires its suppliers to prohibit intimidation, harassment, retaliation and violence against trade union members.

No details were available about whether PVH actively procures from women-owned businesses or takes specific actions to increase the procurement spend directed to these businesses.

While PVH reports on its gender pay gap in the United Kingdom, thereby complying with national regulation, no information was found regarding how the company specifically addresses the gender pay gap across its global operations to ensure its women employees receive fair compensation for their work. Regarding family-friendly benefits, PVH indicates that it offers parental leave but does not specify the number of days or if the leave is paid. Furthermore, there is no information regarding whether the company promotes employees’ return to work after leave or offers childcare support. It does, however, offer employees flexible working hours and remote working arrangements.

In the supply chain, PVH requests that suppliers provide formal contracts as well as encourages suppliers to provide workers with a living wage that covers their basic needs. However, suppliers are not required to do so. Furthermore, there were no details found regarding how PVH considers key family-friendly benefits to support the unpaid care burden carried by its employees or workers in the supply chain.

No information was found regarding whether PVH covers additional costs surrounding maternal and mental health services or the sexual and reproductive health needs specific to its women employees.

In the supply chain, PVH requires suppliers to provide their workers with a safe and healthy work environment, including access to drinking water, toilets separated by gender, adequately lit factory facilities and personal protective equipment as well as training in proper chemical handling and emergency procedures. The company has not, however, made a public commitment to provide workers with gender-responsive health information and services, for example by requiring suppliers to have an on-site clinic with credentialed health providers.

In the workplace, PVH seeks to prevent violence and harassment through its Global Anti-Harassment Policy which strictly prohibits harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. The company also prohibits all forms of retaliation against any person who reports possible misconduct as well as against any person who cooperates in an investigation. However, no details were found to indicate PVH trains its own employees on violence and harassment. Neither was information found regarding the company’s effective remedy for violence and harassment grievances in the workplace, such as not requiring private arbitration or silencing agreements.

In the supply chain, PVH requires its suppliers to treat employees with respect and dignity and prohibits physical, sexual, psychological and verbal harassment or abuse. The company does not, however, specify that this policy be made available in local languages or require its suppliers to provide training on violence and harassment to their managers and workers.

No information was found regarding how PVH addresses non-discriminatory practices in marketing and advertising, for example by committing to avoid harmful gender stereotypes or ensuring gender-responsive communications and engagement with its customers to support gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Little information was found regarding how PVH drives gender equality and women’s empowerment in the communities where it operates. The company has partnered with Save the Children on the Partnerships for Youth Livelihoods programme, which has a 50:50 gender mandate, to provide skills training to young people in Ethiopia. Moreover, its aim to improve the lives of more than a million people across the value chain focuses specifically on providing women education and career development opportunities along with childcare services and parenting training.

PVH has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic through its PVH Foundation, which has committed $1 million toward COVID-19 relief, including a $100,000 donation to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The company has also shipped more than 2 million units of personal protective equipment that includes isolation gowns, masks and face shields to the Montefiore Health System in New York to support local healthcare workers. Furthermore, it has provided financial assistance to employees facing financial hardship through its Associate Relief Fund.