3-3 - Management of material topics: Employment

As a diversified, global manufacturing company, employment can have a range of impacts on the economy, environment, and people, both negative and positive.

Employment can drive economic growth by creating jobs and stimulating local economies. However, it can also lead to economic disparities if not managed properly. Environmental impact can include positive workforce practices to reduce waste and improve efficiencies, but can also have negative impacts such as increased carbon emissions and resource depletion, if not managed to minimize negative impacts. For people, employment can improve the quality of life and skill development, but if not managed properly then could have negative impacts on the well-being of the workforce.

Given Milliken's global manufacturing footpring and complex value chains, there can be complex effects on employment. Given the interconnectedness of wages, employment, and productivity in global value chains, there are potential direct and indirect effects, which could lead to negative impacts on employment.  Additionally, Milliken faces challenges in tracability of our complex supply chains and ensuring fair labor practices across our diversified supply chains. 

Milliken is committed to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Fair Treatment principles in our Code of Conduct and People and Labor commitments in our Supplier Code of Conduct. 

Our Code of Conduct makes it clear that we prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, class/caste, race, color, religion, gender, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. In addition to complying with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws, we comply with all other civil rights, human rights, and labor laws around the world where applicable.

We require and expect that all associates treat one another with respect and dignity. Each associate has a unique role in making Milliken a better and more rewarding place to work. We offer training to help associates understand their responsibilities at Milliken.

In 2024, specific actions taken to manage employment include:

(1) Compliance with legal hiring and human resources requirements, including working conditions

(2) Protecting the safety and health of our associates via our policies and systems to promote an injury-free workplace

(3) Career development opportunities to expand skills and offer programs like Milliken's Aspire to Management Program

We annually report on the progress and lessons learned of our 2025 People Goals as well as annual disclosures on labor commitments in our Communication on Progress for the UN Global Compact and our assessment with Ecovadis. Please review our 2024 Sustainability Report for more information on Workforce Management. 

We engage with stakeholders on the impacts of employment in our annual impact assessments, ongoing associate dialogue, feedback and action plan from employee engagement surveys, and survey training feedback as well as feedback from our recruiting process and exit interviews.