Policies and Procedures for Obtaining and Maintaining a certification from HTF Today Inc.

Step 1- Application

-Companies should apply for consideration of our certification on our website or by email, including information such as:

1. Employees: Locations and number of employees, including the number of employees in each position and a short job description for each job.

2. Primary Company Function: Retailer, Producer, Manufacturer, Distributor; more than one designation may be appropriate.

3. List of what efforts have been made by the company to reduce or eliminate dependence on forced labor and child labor. This includes prison labor.

4. Anticipated or hypothesized dependence on human trafficking operations and how the company will eliminate such dependence if found.

5. Itemized list of number or products and ingredients and where they come from.

6. Whether the company is seeking a 5, 10, or 15 year certification.

7. Whether the company has been previously or is currently certified.

8. Notarized signed statement from company President/CEO or other authorized agent stating the following:

  -The company will submit to full access and transparency for HTF Today Inc., including submitting to surprise inspections.

-The company will not purposely or through negligence benefit from or utilize human trafficking, to include prison labor.

- The company will cease to do business indefinitely with any other entity that utilizes human trafficking unless and until said entity becomes certified by HTF Today Inc.

-Any human trafficking victims discovered in the course of HTF Today Inc.’s investigations will be helped/liberated through negotiations with local governments if said government has outlawed human trafficking and isn’t anticipated to imprison or kill victims if discovered, extraction operations for victims in countries with hostile, unsympathetic, or ineffectual (At freeing victims) governments, relocation assistance to include housing, travel, education, and legal fees associated with immigration.

-Prison Laborers shall be compensated at the local minimum non-tipped worker wage for all hours worked while the company did business, directly or indirectly, with prison labor camps and facilities.

-Any past financing of ethnic cleansing or mass murder in order to utilize a location for production, manufacturing, distribution, or retail.

-The company will not finance ethnic cleansing or mass murder of locals in order to utilize that location for production, manufacturing, distribution, or retail.

A) Production or Manufacturing selected as one of the company’s functions:

1. The company will pay 2 times (200% of) HTF Today Inc.’s investigation costs initially, with the minimum investigation cost being 20,000 U.S. dollars, therefore paying a minimum of 40,000 U.S. dollars initially, and ten percent (10%) of said investigation costs every month for a minimum of 5 years.

2. The company will pay 1,000 U.S. dollars per hour for training of and consultation with employees, with a minimum of 60 hours of consultation per year required.

B) Retail or Distribution selected as one of the options for the company’s function:

1. The company will pay 1,000 U.S. dollars per hour for consultation, with a minimum of 150 hours per year for consultation and training of employees.

2. The company will require all products and ingredients to be certified by HTF Today Inc. before they utilize HTF Today Inc.’s logo.

3. The company will pay 2 times (200% of) investigation costs initially for investigation of employee/labor practices, with a minimum of 20,000 U.S. dollars in investigation costs, equaling a minimum of 40,000 U.S. dollars initially, while paying ten percent (10%) of said investigation costs every month for a minimum of 5 years.

C) Service***

1. The company will pay 1,000 U.S. dollars per hour for consultation, with a minimum of 100 hours per year for consultation and training of employees.

2. The company will require all products and ingredients to be certified by HTF Today Inc. before they utilize HTF Today Inc.’s logo.

***- Services will acquire a slightly different logo to use. It will feature an “L” in black at the bottom of the typical logo. They will also not be required (but are encouraged) to make all products they use become certified. 

3. The company will pay 2 times (200% of) investigation costs initially for investigation of employee/labor practices, with a minimum of 20,000 U.S. dollars in investigation costs, equaling a minimum of 40,000 U.S. dollars initially, while paying ten percent (10%) of said investigation costs every month for a minimum of 5 years.

 

- Once certified, the company will run a national television advertisement* once a week for a minimum period of one year, advertising its certification by HTF Today Inc, and further show its commitment to human rights by using the HTF Today Inc logo on their buildings, shipments, and product.

*- For companies that are only purposely avaling themselves of a local or regional market, a newspaper ad will be sufficient.

- If human trafficking is discovered in the chain of supply or in employment with the company, the company will have to repay the initial costs in 6 months and said 6 months will be added on to the contracted time.

-All disputes shall be resolved by binding arbitration by no less than three (3) neutral arbitrators, one third (1/3) to be selected by HTF Today Inc., one third (1/3) to be selected by the company, and one third (1/3) to be mutually selected. U.S. and Florida Law shall be the choice of law, and the place of arbitration shall be Tampa, Florida, if convenient, or if inconvenient the place of arbitration shall be mutually agreed upon; if no such agreement can be reached, the place of arbitration shall be in a city approximately half the distance between company headquarters and HTF Today Inc.’s headquarters. If the halfway point falls between land masses, The Hague, Netherlands, shall be the city of arbitration. The evidence standard shall be a preponderance of the evidence, also known as a greater weight of the evidence, defined at a proof level of fifty-one percent (51%). The Company will pay all arbitration fees except for the judgement of said neutral arbitrators.

-The company agrees that any attempt to harm or physically intimidate members of HTF Today Inc., our contractors, whistleblowers or informants by any employee of the company shall warrant a five (5) million dollar fine.

- All fees and fines shall be paid by the company regardless of certification status, and the period selected shall not toll until the investigation is complete.

 

Step 2: Consideration

1. An investigation shall be conducted by HTF Today Inc. and all information obtained shall be considered by the certification committee on a case by case subjective basis.

2. Decisions to certify, deny, or continue a company’s status are based upon:

a. The company’s candor and cooperation. Any purposeful deception will delay an investigation by 6 months and incur a minimum fine of 50,000 dollars (Actual fine may vary depending on level and scale of deception/non-disclosure).

b. The company’s compliance with local and national labor laws.

c. The company’s past and present utilization of products, ingredients, or labor that come from human trafficking, to include prison labor.

d. The company’s methods in securing locations for distribution, manufacturing, production, or retail, such as whether they encouraged or committed human rights violations or didn’t pay agreed upon prices for construction and real estate.

e. The company’s compliance with the statements made in their application, and whether or not they have practiced good faith in their completion or attempted completion of said obligations.

3. Committee members include the President of HTF Today Inc., the Founder (If different from President), and others selected by this/these person(s).

4. Consideration will be ongoing while investigations continue, and initial certification by the committee will not be delayed more than one (1) year from the end date of the initial investigation.

5. Continued certification of companies will be analyzed on an ongoing basis based upon up to date reports from private investigators.

6. After the expiration of a company’s selected term of certification (5-15 years), should a company wish to continue utilizing said certification, they will have to re-apply and pay all fees, and fines if applicable, again.

7. Companies that wish to continue using the certification should renew (re-apply) a minimum of one (1) year from the end date of their certification in order to avoid interruption of certification status.

8. It is expected that companies will build a working relationship with HTF Today Inc., and they are required to notify HTF Today Inc. of any changes in supplies, equipment, middle to upper level labor or more than 25% of lower level labor or practices therein.

9. No Information discovered, except for protected information such as trade secrets, shall be kept private. It shall be released to the press if prudent in the judgement of the President of HTF Today Inc.

10. The acceptance, delay, or denial of certification by the committee shall be published in a report which will include the general findings of the investigation, but will not include names, positions, locations, descriptions, or ages of whistle blowers or informants.

11. Any attempt at physical harm or intimidation of any employee or contractor of HTF Today Inc. or retaliation against whistleblowers or informants will be met with a five (5) million dollar fine.

 

Redress of Grievances**

 

** All redress of grievances shall be handled by binding arbitration as required by the agreement made in applying for certification. Mediation may be attempted before arbitration but is not required. Once arbitration has begun no settlement agreements may be reached except in extreme circumstances, such as extreme delay of judgement or discovered severe bias of arbitrator(s). *