JCPenney Joins Nirapon, Supporting Safe Work Environments in Bangladesh

Image courtesy of Nirapon

We are proud to announce that JCPenney has joined Nirapon, an organization whose mission is to cultivate a safe working environment for Bangladesh garment factories, workers, owners and managers. As one of the largest and most experienced importers of textiles and apparel in the United States, JCPenney purchases merchandise from nearly 2,600 domestic and foreign suppliers. By partnering with organizations such as Nirapon, we can ensure that JCPenney works with suppliers and manufacturers who share our commitment to social and environmental values.

“At JCPenney, we take our role as a leader in the retail industry seriously, which includes upholding our supplier partners to meet high standards for ethical behavior,” said Laurie Sutandar, vice president of strategic sourcing for JCPenney. “For more than a century, JCPenney has built a legacy of operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner, and our active support of the Bangladesh community through our involvement in Nirapon is just one of many examples of how we prioritize responsible corporate policies throughout our entire supply chain.”

Through the support of its more than 20 global partners, including JCPenney, Nirapon is a self-regulating organization providing factory building and fire safety monitoring, oversight and reporting services in Bangladesh. The organization serves as the local point of contact in Dhaka for the collective efforts of its partners, providing garment factories the information needed to help sustain and expand a culture of safety.

“Workplace safety is critical to the retail industry on a global and local level because it honors and protects workers and drives the long-term sustainability and success of the local economy,” said Moushumi Khan, CEO of Nirapon. “I welcome JCPenney joining us on the journey to increased productivity and innovation in the marketplace, which starts with a sustainable culture of safety in garment factories.”

In addition to membership in organizations such as Nirapon, JCPenney takes active steps to promote proper business practices with all of our partners around the world. The JCPenney Supplier Principles outline our expectations of all factories and mills that conduct business for and with the Company, including expectations on business ethics, working conditions, safe products, social responsibility and environmental impact. Furthermore, JCPenney’s membership in Nirapon follows our involvement with the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, which completed its five-year commitment in December 2018.

 For more details about Nirapon and its commitment to workplace safety, please visit https://www.nirapon.org/.