Human Rights Policy
Policy Statement and Scope:
This Policy affirms Equitrans Midstream Corporation’s commitment to upholding dignity and respect for all people throughout our value chain. The Policy covers all employees and directors (Covered Persons) of Equitrans Midstream Corporation and each of its subsidiaries (Equitrans Midstream or Company) and all external and internal communications made by Covered Persons on behalf of Equitrans Midstream and its affiliates.
At Equitrans Midstream, upholding human rights is critical for creating sustainable value for our Company and the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to safeguarding dignity and respect for all people throughout our value chain. We recognize that the nature of our business activities and existing operational footprint do not generally encounter a significant risk of negatively impacting the basic principles of human rights. Regardless, this does not diminish our commitment to respect human rights in all our actions with employees, local communities, customers, and other stakeholders. We will conduct appropriate due diligence to ensure we maintain that commitment and strive to create open channels of communication with anyone potentially impacted by our activities.
Equitrans’ Human Rights Policy is informed by principles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the International Labor Organization’s (ILO’s) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Our Human Rights Policy applies to Equitrans, the entities that we own, and the entities in which we hold a majority interest, as well as all of our employees, contractors, suppliers, and customers.
Mitigating Human Rights Impacts
Equitrans is committed to undertaking due diligence to proactively identify and mitigate negative human rights impacts resulting from or caused by our business activities. We are steadfast in our efforts to prevent adverse human rights impacts before they occur, whenever possible.
Stakeholder Engagement and Community Investment
Equitrans understands that we impact the communities in which we operate and that working closely with community partners can help mitigate human rights abuses. We regularly engage with our stakeholders and local communities to foster collaboration and mutual respect. Where applicable, we maintain an open dialogue with stakeholders regarding human rights issues related to our business. More information on our commitment and approach to stakeholders and communities is found in our Stakeholder Engagement and Community Investment Policy.
Inclusion
At Equitrans, we cultivate an inclusive, respectful work environment that values differing perspectives and encourages the power of teamwork and accountability. We strive to be an organization where all employees feel included and are engaged to do their best work each day. We are dedicated to upholding equal opportunity and we are committed to preventing discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, sex, color, national or social origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, political opinion, or any other protected status. We base our recruitment, hiring, advancement, development, and compensation on individuals’ qualifications, performance, skills, and experience. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, inappropriate behavior, or retaliation in any form. Furthermore, our inclusion programs and practices proactively contribute to a workforce culture that upholds these principles. Additional information can be found on the Our Culture page of our Company’s external website.
Freedom of Association
Equitrans respects our employees’ rights, as well as those of our contracted labor, to join or form unions and/or collectively bargain without fear of reprisal, punishment, or harassment. Currently, none of Equitrans’ employees are members of unions or collective bargaining agreements. If in the future employees decide to collectively bargain or form any unions, Equitrans is committed to respecting our employees’ rights to do so.
Occupational Health and Safety
At Equitrans Midstream, Safety is our number one priority. We understand that upholding a safe work environment is critical to protecting the human rights of our employees, contractors, and communities; and we are dedicated to complying with all applicable laws, regulations, and internal requirements related to occupational health and safety. Furthermore, we continuously seek new ways to achieve greater health and safety throughout all aspects of our business and operations. Detailed information regarding our safety practices is found on our Safety page of our Company’s external website.
Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Child Labor
Equitrans prohibits the use of any forms of child labor, forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking. We are committed to ensuring that all our employees, contractors, and suppliers mitigate the risk of child labor, forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking occurring in any aspect of Equitrans’ operations or within any part of our value chain. Equitrans is also committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations related to underage labor for all employees and to do business with only those contractors within our supply chain that agree to comply with such laws and regulations.
Work Hours, Compensation, and Benefits
Equitrans upholds all applicable laws and regulations related to labor practices, including those concerning hours, compensation, opportunity, and working conditions. We encourage fair work practices – including wages, hours, and benefits – throughout our supply chain.
Reporting Concerns
Equitrans strongly encourages open and honest communications across every aspect of our business activities. We implement programs and practices that contribute to a culture where employees and external participants are expected to report concerns regarding compliance, human rights, or any other potential malfeasant behavior without fear of retaliation or harassment. As part of our Compliance Network, the Equitrans Compliance Hotline (844-513-8109) is an avenue through which individuals can report deviations from the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, as well as any human rights concerns related to our business activities. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the toll-free Compliance Hotline is staffed by an independent, third-party organization with experience in handling ethics issues and working with callers to document concerns for review. All calls made to the Compliance Hotline can be completely anonymous, if a caller so chooses, and calls are not recorded. Information provided in a call is quickly relayed to Equitrans and our internal auditor for investigation and resolution, as appropriate. Employees can also report alleged misconduct through our third-party operated online reporting portal.
Printable PDF file: Human Rights Policy
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