For being a company of our size and direction, we think it’s important to improve the work- and environmental conditions for all the people who in some way work to produce the products we sell. We would like to show how we look at these issues and how we process them.

We have decided to play an active role in achieving better, safer and more secure environments in the offices and workshop all around the world that directly or indirectly affect our operations.

It would be easy to send out a list of requirements to our over 200 different vendors to ask them to affect their factories according to the programs that the UN has endorsed. That kind of behavior has no value to us as it now criticized by Amnesty International that companies partly swear themselves free in purpose to strengthen their own brand. Besides, we believe we know that the majority of our suppliers are already doing more than the minimum responsibility-taking actions to meet these requirements.

We've also described to our suppliers what we ask from them to pass this on to assure that the goods we sell are produced in a responsible manner. These conditions are based upon the programs established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN Declaration on Human Rights.

We won't be able to secure this in all stages, but we want a continuous dialogue and get an idea how our suppliers are working on these issues and how well they followed up their work. Sometimes there are cultural differences that make that kind of work very time-consuming. If there are factories in the world making the products we sell, we personally visit that workplace together with the relevant supplier.

We understand that threats or terminations of our agreements only results in even more difficulties for the employees who may lose their job. However, physical proposals for improvements, grants and follow ups can help to make major positive differences.

To learn more and to take more responsibility in these matters, we are also involved in the work group within ISO who is responsible for drawing up an international standard on Social Responsibility. The aim of this work is to add value without replacing the existing arrangements, with a focus on social responsibility that the UN Declaration on Human Rights and the ILO (International Labor Organization) has developed. What will be published in 2010 will be useful for companies and organizations regardless of size, and in countries at different stages of development. www.isotc.org

We are also working constantly to expand our range of furniture which are manufactured in an environmentally sound manner. We take courses and seminars to inform ourselves and provide information on the progress made in the area.