Summary of Our Sustainability Code of Conduct | The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory operates with a fundamental respect for the rights of the staff members we employ, and the people who grow and produce the products we source. As part of our on-going sustainability and social justice efforts, we have adopted a number of leading and well-recognized national and international labor standards as reflected in our Sustainability Code of Conduct.

Our Sustainability Code of Conduct seeks to uphold our values and principles by establishing certain nonnegotiable standards, which seek to ensure that suppliers meet our expectations for doing business with us as they relate to legal requirements, ethical practices, human rights, and environmental standards. Our goal is to work with suppliers towards compliance with our Sustainability Code of Conduct, and with respect to any supplier who does not adopt such practices, review our relationship on a case by case basis to determine if practices are consistent with our commitments. While the full Sustainability Code of Conduct has significant detailed standards and expectations, at a high-level our Code requires that our suppliers:

Business Integrity

Freely Chosen Employment

Working Hours & Compensation

Safe Working Conditions

Ensure workers are provided a safe, healthy, and clean working environment, and materials and training to prevent accidents and injury.

Fair & Equal Treatment

Treat all workers with dignity and respect, including unbiased conflict resolution processes, non-discrimination policies, voluntary and safe housing (when provided), and access to necessary services.

Environmental Practices

In addition to complying with all applicable environmental laws, continually improve environmental performance and ensure compliance with any social, animal welfare, or environmental requirements specific to our Policy.

Communication & Implementation

Reporting & Record Keeping

We recognize that the root causes of many of our sustainability challenges are multi-faceted and complex, requiring multiple levels of engagement, not just from business but also from local and national governments, and require attention not only to environmental challenges but also to the development of a just and prosperous future for those involved in our supply chain. Therefore, our Sustainable Sourcing Policy, including our Sustainability Code of Conduct, are intended to work together to identify and design solutions that match the size of the challenge of shifting to sustainable and socially responsible sourcing.