Human Rights

At Caterpillar, we are committed to respecting internationally recognized human rights principles throughout our global operations and within the framework of applicable laws and regulations. We clearly articulate our commitment to upholding these principles in “Caterpillar's Code of Conduct – Our Values in Action.” We expect our suppliers and business partners to do the same and encourage them to develop their own approach in their operations consistent with these expectations.

Human Rights Policy

Caterpillar is committed to respecting recognized human rights principles aimed at promoting and protecting human rights in the countries in which we operate. We recognize that governments are ultimately responsible for establishing the legal framework to protect human rights within their jurisdictions.

Consistent with our commitment and in accordance with applicable law and practice, we:

do not condone and strive to eliminate all forms of forced labor, child labor and discrimination in the workplace.
work to establish safe and healthy working conditions.
respect and value the different opinions, experiences and backgrounds that come from every member of our team.
seek to compensate our employees fairly and competitively where they work.
respect principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

Download Human Rights Policy

We promote and respect the rule of law and will comply with the applicable law in the countries where we operate. We operate within the framework of our worldwide Code of Conduct. We maintain relevant policies and procedures to further our intended operations. We expect our business practices to be undertaken in accordance with applicable law, policy and Our Values in Action.

This policy supports Caterpillar's vision to create a work environment that all can take pride in, to be a company others respect and admire, and to contribute to a world made better by our actions.

Our Guiding Principles

While this policy is uniquely our own, it is informed by:

This policy complements Caterpillar's Code of Conduct – Our Values in Action.

Enterprise policies apply to the Caterpillar enterprise, including subsidiaries, majority-owned joint ventures, and, following a transition period, newly acquired companies. If a Caterpillar division or employee believes that elements of an enterprise policy conflict with local law, they should promptly contact the Office of Business Practices. Annually, all employees are required to review and certify their understanding and compliance with Caterpillar’s Code of Conduct. In addition, they are expected to report any circumstances or actions that violate, or appear to violate, the Code, enterprise policy or applicable law.

Caterpillar’s Sustainability & other Public Policy Committee has explicit oversight over human rights. Like all enterprise policies, Caterpillar’s human rights policy is approved by the board of directors and implemented through management for day-to-day responsibility of our commitment to respecting human rights.

Business Partners and Suppliers

Caterpillar has a large and diverse network of business partners and suppliers.

We are committed to working with these parties to uphold the principles in this policy and encourage them to assess their own business and develop their own approach to respecting human rights. 

We look for suppliers who demonstrate strong values. We expect our suppliers to comply with the obligations set forth in our Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes commitments to adhere to our Human Rights Policy and to avoid and eliminate all forms of forced labor, child labor and discrimination in the workplace. They’re also expected to comply with the sound business practices we embrace, follow the law and conduct activities in a manner that reflects Caterpillar’s Code of Conduct. Caterpillar conducts multiple levels of due diligence screenings on suppliers as part of its compliance program.

View Our Supplier Code of Conduct

Our Values in Action

The foundation of all that we do resides within Our Code of Conduct. Within the framework of Our Values in Action, we have established mechanisms to help identify, address and mitigate potential adverse human rights impacts wherever we do business.

Many of these mechanisms already exist and are fully integrated into our established policies and procedures, which serve in furtherance of the company’s Code of Conduct and Supplier Code of Conduct.

We will consult with relevant internal and external stakeholders to understand human rights-related concerns and issues and remediate activity that is inconsistent with this policy. Caterpillar will assess and escalate human rights issues and concerns regarding our business activity within the informed context of law, policy and our Code of Conduct, and when doing so, we will act in accordance with Our Values in Action.

View Our Code of Conduct

Reporting

We encourage any party to report situations in which they have a good faith belief that the entities or individuals covered under this policy have taken actions that are inconsistent with the principles set forth in this policy.

Caterpillar has a zero-tolerance policy for retaliation. We strictly prohibit any form of retaliation – including unfair treatment, demotion and exclusion from opportunities – against anyone who raises concerns or reports potential misconduct in good faith.

If you believe you are experiencing retaliation, report it immediately. We will take all appropriate and necessary actions to address and resolve the matter.

Contact Information

We have dedicated confidential and anonymous means to encourage reporting by any party, maintained by our Office of Business Practices.

Online Reporting (can be submitted anomously)
U.S. Toll-free Helpline: 1-800-300-7898
Collect Helpline: +1-770-582-5275 (language translation available)
Email: BusinessPractices@cat.com

Find Global Contact Information

In Action

Due Diligence

We assess potential human rights impacts across our supply chain, including any impact from forced, compulsory, or child labor, slavery and human trafficking through our supplier code of conduct self-assessment program. We instruct critical suppliers to complete a self-assessment. That assessment includes questions regarding the policies and procedures suppliers have in place to tackle slavery and human trafficking in their own supply chain.

Caterpillar also now uses a third party in its verification process, performing on-site audits on select suppliers regarding slavery and human trafficking in the countries in which they are doing business. Caterpillar reserves the right to verify that our suppliers comply with the Supplier Code of Conduct as needed.

Training

Human rights is part of Caterpillar's Code of Conduct and all Caterpillar employees are required to complete Code of Conduct training on an annual basis.

Caterpillar also offers Preventing Human Rights Abuses training to our employees. This training is available to all employees and is mandatory for those roles most closely connected to the supply chain including procurement, compliance and trade.

Product Use

Caterpillar is a global company committed to living Our Values in Action and serving our customers to build a better, more sustainable world. We maintain a compliance program designed to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations wherever we operate. As a U.S.-based company, Caterpillar sells to the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program – a longstanding initiative. Caterpillar has sold equipment to this program for over 30 years, with 189 countries and international organizations currently authorized to purchase goods from the U.S. government through FMS. The Department of State is responsible for ensuring each FMS case meets statutory and policy requirements, including a humanitarian review before approval. Past examples of Caterpillar equipment sold by the U.S. government through this program include D9s for mine/IED clearing in Egypt, telehandlers for humanitarian aid in Lebanon, construction equipment for infrastructure in Africa, and electric power solutions for prime and standby power worldwide.