Corporate Responsibility in Fields

Fields is Ireland’s Largest Irish owned retail jewellers, with over 150 employees in our 14 stores. As such, we are a major contributor to the Irish economy. We are conscious that our responsibilities extend beyond the transactional.

Our vision is “To Be at the Heart of Every Celebration” and our values - the behaviours we exhibit at all times - help us achieve that vision. Our business ethics and principles are aligned to our visions, values and goals.

Fields’ approach to Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) can be divided into four major domains:

The Marketplace

• Environmental Responsibilities
• Workplaces
• Responsibility to the Community.

THE MARKETPLACE

Our reputation in the marketplace is hard-earned and very important to us. We refuse to allow it be compromised for any short-term gain.

We believe in an ethical Supply Chain:

• We do not purchase from unapproved distributors and will not knowingly supply goods that are produced within inhuman conditions.
• We have significant responsibilities with regards the sourcing of Gold and Diamonds. Fields explicitly stipulates that our suppliers must use all available means to ensure products are sourced ethically.

Ukraine Crisis

At Fields we have all been deeply shocked and appalled by the terrible events occurring in Ukraine. We do not source any of our products directly from Russia, and we have been working with our partners to reduce or eliminate Russian-sourced raw materials from our supply chain. Taking account of advice from a number of relief agencies, Fields are fundraising through March and April for the Red Cross and in addition to our own contribution, will match staff and customer donations. Customers can donate at tills in any of our stores. We hope that our efforts will, in some small way, provide solidarity and support to the people in Ukraine.

The Kimberley Process (KP)

We subscribe to the Kimberley Process (KP) www.kimberleyprocess.com, a joint initiative between governments, industry and society which restricts the flow of conflict diamonds, used in the financing of wars against legitimate governments.

KP uses traceability systems in order to ensure that rough diamonds are shipped via tamper-proof methods and are government-certified as conflict-free. Under this process, shipments lacking legitimate certification will be rejected or impounded. As the diamonds continue their journey through the market, they are further certified as compliant with the Kimberley Process.

We insist that all our diamond and diamond product suppliers subscribe to the Kimberley Process and state this on their supply documentation.

Hence, we warrant that all diamonds sold by Fields come from suppliers that adhere to the Kimberley Process.

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)

Fields was an early supporter of the 'Unearth Justice' initiative, by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD). This initiative is supported by many leading retailers and has developed its own code of ethics: “The Golden Rules.” The Golden Rules call on mining companies to meet basic standards in their operation. They are as follows:

• Respect for basic Human Rights as outlined by International conventions and Law
• Free, prior and informed consent of affected communities.
• Safe working conditions
• Respect for workers’ rights and labour standards (including the eight core ILO conventions)
• Ensure that operations are not located in areas of armed or militarised conflicts
• Ensure that projects do not force communities off their lands
• No dumping of mine waste into the ocean, river, lakes or streams
• Ensure that projects are not located in protected areas, fragile ecosystems or other areas of high conservation or ecological value
• Ensure that projects do not generate sulphuric acid in perpetuity
• Cover all costs of closing down and cleaning up mine sites
• Fully disclose information about social environmental effects on projects
• Allow independent verification of the above

The above Golden Rules ensure that basic human rights, that we possibly take for granted, are upheld whilst ensuring that our environment is also protected.

We fully support the aims of the CAFOD initiative and we ask our suppliers to confirm their awareness and full compliance with it.

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

At Fields we appreciate and understand our environmental responsibilities.

Apart from handling our own environmental footprint and meeting environmental legislation that relates to Fields, we aim to define industry standards in this area.

Our current initiatives include:

• Working with suppliers in order to develop energy efficient lighting systems.
• Confirming energy efficiency is a key aspect of all our store refurbishments and constructs.
• As we recycle our fleet, we are sure to select cars that will reduce our carbon footprint.

The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (“WEEE”) has the purpose of promoting the recycling of electrical goods whenever possible. As retailers, should a client purchase a battery-powered product from us, we will recycle the customers’ similar product should they have one. If preferred, the customer can recycle the item, for example a used battery, at their local recycling facility.

The “crossed-out wheeled bin" symbol indicates that a product can be recycled.

OUR WORKPLACES

Our workplaces – from our stores, to our offices – are the heart of Fields.

We are dedicated to fashioning our workplaces as industry defining. Our relationships with one other and with our employees reflect the loyalty to our vision, values and goals.

Employee rewards:

We reward performance that meets our vision, values and goals.

We do not discount salaries or rewards due to age.

Diversity in the workplace:

Our recruitment policies ensure that we do not discriminate on social, ethnic, gender, religious or other grounds.

Health and safety:

The health, safety and welfare of our employees at work are of the utmost importance to us. This is demonstrated through compliance with health and safety standards set out in the relevant legislation.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY

Community support is an imperative aspect of Fields’ business. The communities we serve are also the communities in which we live and the communities that support us in return.

We are determined to use our skills and resources so as to benefit these communities. Because our organisation is nationwide, our efforts will need to be structured, yet diversified and flexible. Accordingly, we focus our efforts on several general areas with a view to warranting local emphasis.

Therefore, we will base our community support on our employees’ initiatives, rather than responding to direct requests for financial support. We will support our employees' giving through a gift contribution program.

We do not donate to political parties.