First US based company earns Just Label

The programme's justice and equity indicators include treatment of employees, diversity and inclusion, local sourcing and purchasing, worker benefits, workplace safety and community stewardship. The program requires reporting on 19 of 22 performance indicators in six categories. ILI reported data on 21 indicators.

Francis Janes, Just Programme manager for ILFI, explained: "In a relatively short time frame since programme launch, the Just Programme has garnered worldwide interest and is helping organisations develop better employee engagement policies and community stewardship practices. ILFI is very pleased to announce that Industrial Louvers has joined the ranks of Just Labelled organisations with the distinction of being the first U.S.-based manufacturer to earn the Just Label. The Just Label reflects Industrial Louvers' long-standing commitment to sustainability and social equity practices."

Also commenting, Jo Reinhardt, CEO of ILI said: "ILI first embarked on the project as part of a larger corporate responsibility and sustainability effort. We realised that for our products to be truly sustainable, we need to evaluate how our practices influence our people and community as well as the environment. Our core values have always included a strong commitment to our employees, and we strive to provide transparency in our organisation. The Just Label helps us illustrate those commitments."

Participation in the programme prompted ILI to formalise some of the company's positive initiatives, like charitable giving, local purchasing and identifying target areas for future improvement, such as continuing education. The company is proud of its performance scores, particularly in indicators such as pay scale equity.

According to the AFL-CIO, CEOs are paid, on average, 331 times the average worker. At ILI, the CEO is paid less than a 15:1 ratio, the best performance level available for the indicator. This demonstrates that at ILI, executives do not draw on a disproportionate share of the benefits of the employees' work. Other areas proved more difficult, particularly for a manufacturing company.

The Just Label calls for a 50-50 split between men and women in the workforce. Even though the company is woman-owned and operated, and half of the senior managers are women, a 50-50 split across the entire workforce is currently impossible to achieve. The Sheet Metal Workers Union reports that only 1.56% of available manufacturing workers are women.

ILI outperforms the average manufacturer with nearly 10% women in its factory. "We will continue to focus on recruiting and retaining more women," explained Reinhardt. "But overall, we are very proud of our leadership in this area."