Environmental, Social & Governance

Our environmental, social and certain other governance efforts are implemented through our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) programs, which are designed to align our approach to ESG issues with the interests of our people, customers and shareholders and their respective ESG concerns.

Our ESG programs consist of, and are organized under, four key components:

Product Safety & Compliance

Responsible Sourcing & Vendor Compliance

Environmental & Sustainability

Philanthropy

We believe that these four key components of our ESG programs enhance and elevate our brand presence and are aligned with the Company’s long-term strategic goals as a provider of luxury home furnishings.

In order to implement our ESG programs, we collaborate and work with a variety of third-parties, many of which are non-profit organizations that provide and/or monitor standards addressing various aspects of ESG concerns. We work directly with some of these organizations or we rely upon vendors that adhere to standards set by these kinds of third parties. Some of these third-party organizations that we rely upon as part of our ESG programs include among others, Habitat for Humanity, Good360, Benchmark International, Assent, GoodWeave, Label STEP and Fair Working Conditions.

Sustainability
We observe a number of practices that are designed to support environmental stewardship through sustainability. We seek to address environmental considerations through our programs, including issues related to deforestation, waste, energy use, recycling and conservation of resources used in building materials.

We have strategically aligned our sustainability and environmental programs with the materials we use to make our products, the paper we use to print our Source Books and the iconic and historical buildings we chose to renovate and restore as part of our portfolio of Design Galleries.

We have pioneered a number of product collections that incorporate the use of reclaimed and repurposed wood from older buildings where these materials can be procured. We also work with our vendors to support responsible wood sourcing practices and compliance with applicable regulations concerning the origin of new wood and other product inputs.

Our Source Books are printed – and have been printed for a number of years – on Forest Stewardship Council (or FSC) Certified Catalog Paper. FSC is a third party certification organization that evaluates those who manage the care of forests. Using FSC certified paper in the production of our Source Books is designed to assure that paper is not contributing to destructive practices in forestry such as illegal logging, conversion of natural forests to other land uses, the liquidation of high conservation value forests, civil rights violations and genetic modification of forest species.

The RH proxy statement, as well as previous proxy statements, have also been printed with FSC Paper and Waterworks utilizes FSC paper for printing its bi-annual newspaper, Waterworks Made.

In 2023, we plan to expand the use of FSC certified paper at the RH Home Office.

We also promote a paperless alternative to Source Books through the presentation of our product assortment digitally. Our associates use iPads and other devices to showcase our product assortment to our customers in our Galleries. This service allows our customers to shop our entire merchandise assortment in our retail Galleries.

We work closely with our delivery network, distribution centers, home office facilities teams, Galleries and Outlets to divert packaging, product and other forms of waste from landfills. We have instituted a number of other initiatives to reuse and repurpose materials in lieu of traditional waste practices.

In 2015, we established a program with Habitat for Humanity to donate products in support of this organization as part of our philanthropy and sustainability efforts. We donate to Habitat for Humanity merchandise that does do not meet our “first quality” standards and these “second quality” and “third quality” products are diverted from landfills and used by Habitat for Humanity. Our program with Habitat for Humanity started in Tracy, California and now includes Galleries, Outlets and distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada. In 2019, Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver awarded RH a Community Donor Award as a Silver Level Donor.

Certain RH Baby & Child merchandise have received GREENGUARD Gold certification, the highest level of certification under GREENGUARD, requiring that such products meet strict chemical emissions limits and screening procedures.

In early 2023, to further align with our goal to support environmental stewardship, a portion of our Home Office campus transitioned to “No Mow” grass. This type of grass is more resilient to drought and requires annual mowing, further reducing emissions from gas powered lawn equipment.

Waste & Packaging
We work closely with our delivery centers, distribution centers, home office facilities teams, Galleries and Outlets to assist in finding resources and other options to help divert product and packaging waste from landfills. For example, we look for ways to divert products that do not meet our quality standards, such as products that cannot be sold through our Galleries and Outlets as a result of damage or returns. These “second quality” and “third quality” products have been proactively donated through product diversion programs resulting in an estimated waste diverted from landfills, as shown below:

WASTE DIVERSION

2019

2020

2021

2022

POUNDS

660,000

639,000

540,000

370,000

TONS

330

320

270

185

We also have guidelines and procedures in place with our in-sourced home delivery teams and our third-party home delivery partners to offer to collect and recycle packaging materials from our customers at the time of the product delivery and installation process. Waterworks currently purchases packaging material that is Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified.

In fiscal 2022, Waterworks engaged with a local organization to recycle 606 pounds (.303 tons) of e-waste and 9,800 pounds (4.9 tons) of metal.

Recycling & Composting
We have plans to expand the recycling and composting efforts with respect to the RH Home Office by partnering with its local waste hauler, making available a broader range of applicable waste receptacles and educating associates on recycling and composting best practices.

RH Electricity Consumption
We monitor our electricity consumption across our Galleries and Showrooms, Outlets, distribution centers, manufacturing site and home offices. Our plan is to use the data from our electricity consumption through our U.S. and Canadian operations to drive efficiencies and improvement. Below is a four-year look back at our electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) at locations we are able to monitor on a fiscal year basis.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

2019

2020

2021

2022

Number of Locations

129 (1)

133 (2)

143 (4)

133 (5)

United States

61,596,125 kWh

57,764,156 kWh

62,577,982 kWh

62,619,560 kWh

Canada

2,668,559 kWh

2,063,323 kWh

2,063,204 kWh

1,983,375 kWh

TOTAL

64,264,684 kWh

59,827,479 kWh (3)

64,641,185 kWh

64,602,935 kWh(6)

(1) Consists of 4 Distribution Centers (“DCs”), 66 Galleries, 16 Home Delivery Centers (“HDCs”), 32 Outlets and 8 other facilities in the U.S. and 2 Galleries and 1 Outlet in Canada.

(2) Consists of 3 DCs, 65 Galleries, 19 HDCs, 32 Outlets and 11 other facilities in the U.S. and 2 Galleries and 1 Outlet in Canada.

(3) A majority of RH facilities were temporarily closed from March to June in 2020 due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(4) Consists of 4 DCs, 67 Galleries, 25 HDCs, 33 Outlets, and 11 other facilities in the U.S. and 2 Galleries and 1 Outlet in Canada.

(5) Consists of 4 DCs, 63 Galleries, 21 HDCs, 33 Outlets, and 9 other facilities in the U.S. and 2 Galleries and 1 Outlet in Canada.

(6) In 2022 we closed certain HDCs, Galleries and temporary locations.

The previous table was derived from information provided to us by ENGIE Insight Services Inc., our third-party energy infrastructure and building services provider that helps manage our electricity usage in certain of our select locations and facilities. We do not currently have data for all of our facilities as some of our locations, for example, are part of an integrated multi-tenant commercial complex such as a mall or shopping center where electricity usage is co-mingled with other tenants and is managed by our landlord. We collect and use the data referenced above in order to monitor our electricity usage and to conserve electricity use at these locations. We cannot assure that the results shown for our locations monitored by ENGIE Insight Services are representative of other locations for which we do not have the same access to data regarding electricity use.

We believe our greatest savings impact in terms of electricity usage has been driven by elements of our lighting campaign. Through a targeted approach to our lighting systems, we have expanded the use of LED bulbs in many of our Galleries. We strive to make further gains through the continuation of this initiative during 2023, resulting in the conversion of more of our lighting to energy efficient LED alternatives.

We have also been reviewing potential options to include renewable sources in our energy portfolio.

LEED Certification
As part of our real estate development projects, we address energy efficiency as one important factor in our development efforts. Some of our new Galleries have incorporated more energy efficient alternatives including, in some instances, LEED certified standards. As an example, in September 2016, we opened RH Austin, The Gallery at The Domain at 11720 Domain Boulevard which is a LEED Gold Certified building. In 2015, we opened our distribution center in Patterson, California which is also a LEED Gold Certified building. In 2020, we opened another distribution center in Ontario, California which is also a LEED Certified building.

Architectural & Design Legacy
Since 2011, RH has opened 29 new Galleries. As part of our development of new Galleries, RH has updated and renovated a number of historic buildings, including among others our Gallery locations in Boston, Chicago, Greenwich, San Francisco, New York, New Jersey (under development) and England (under development). These projects enable RH to preserve important architectural contributions and have the additional benefit of reusing and repurposing substantial amounts of legacy building materials that are preserved in these Gallery redesigns. In contrast to new construction, these redesigned historical buildings rely on substantial amounts of the original building materials where possible. In many instances, we have been able to preserve substantial elements of the original building and super structure, as well as important design elements of the historic features of these locations. By preserving a significant portion of the original building, we are able to conserve the amount of new building materials that are used in these projects.

RH has great respect for architectural design and history and has reestablished the relevance of several historic and landmark buildings, giving them renewed purpose and bringing them to modern use. It is often the case that developing a new building from the ground up is more economical than restoring and renovating a historic building. When we choose to renovate historic landmark buildings, we approach the project as an investment in our brand elevation and real estate transformation strategy, as well as an investment in a long-term sustainable approach to Gallery development. Many of these landmark buildings are in a state of disrepair at the time we take possession of them and through our careful restoration we redevelop them into Galleries that reinforce our luxury brand aesthetic and highly differentiated, elevated customer experience.

In April 2013, we opened RH Boston, The Gallery at the Historic Museum of Natural History at 234 Berkeley Street in Boston, Massachusetts. We restored this landmark building that was originally designed in 1862 by distinguished architect William G. Preston and was only the second building to be erected in Boston's famous Back Bay. Our restoration efforts earned us the Preservation Achievement Award through the Boston Preservation Alliance.

In May 2014, we opened RH Greenwich, The Gallery at the Historic Post Office at 310 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut. We restored this storied neoclassical building that was originally built in 1917. This building sits in the heart of Greenwich Avenue’s Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In October 2015, we opened RH Chicago, The Gallery at the Three Arts Club at 1300 North Dearborn Parkway on Chicago’s famed Historic Gold Coast. We restored this landmark building, which was designed in 1914 by distinguished architectural firm Holabird & Roche and was inaugurated as a residence for young women studying music, drama and the visual arts. We restored the entire structure with great respect for its original vision in collaboration with the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. The Gold Coast district, where RH Chicago is located, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Three Arts Club was named a Chicago Landmark in 1981.

In September 2018, we opened RH New York, The Gallery in the Historic Meatpacking District at the intersection of Little West 12th Street, Ninth Avenue and Gansevoort Street. We restored this historic landmark building that was originally owned by John Jacob Astor in the late 19th century. The Meatpacking District, where RH New York is located, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In December 2018, we reopened Ma(i)sonry as RH Wine Vault as part of RH Yountville in the heart of wine country at 6711 Washington Street, Yountville, California. We restored this landmark building, which was originally designed in 1902 by its owner and vintner Charles Rovegno with the help of Angelo Brovelli, a local mason responsible for many of Napa County's idyllic stone bridges. This historic structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as on the Napa County Historic Resources Inventory.

In May 2022, we opened RH San Francisco, The Gallery at the Historic Bethlehem Steel Building at the corner of Illinois & 20th Streets, San Francisco, California in the second quarter of fiscal 2022. Originally constructed in 1917 and designed in the Classical Revival style by preeminent San Francisco architect Frederick H. Meyer, we restored this landmark building with great respect for its original vision. The Historic Bethlehem Steel Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In September 2022, we opened RH Guesthouse at 55 Gansevoort Street in New York, New York. The 55 Gansevoort building is located in the Gansevoort Market Historic District which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our restoration of this historic landmark building, which dates to 1887, was designed by architect Joseph M. Dunn.

In June 2023, we opened RH England, The Gallery at the Historic Aynho Park. The earliest records indicate that a London mercer bought the manor of Aynho in 1545. The manor house at Aynho Park has been remodeled many times since it was built. We acquired Aynho Park in 2020 and intend to continue to redevelop, restore and breathe new life into this iconic historic site, which is considered to be a building of exceptional interest under the National Heritage List for England.

We are developing RH Morristown in New Jersey, The Gallery at the Historic Alnwick Hall, also known as the Abbey. Alnwick Hall was built in 1904 for Edward P. Meany, the New Jersey Judge Advocate General and director of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Edward P. Meany based the design of the house off of the Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England. We look forward to bringing new life to this prominent landmark in Morristown.

We are developing RH London in the UK, The Gallery at the Historic 7 Burlington Gardens, also known as Queensberry House situated in Mayfair. The building was constructed in 1725 and was named after the fair that was typically held in May, every two weeks for about 80 years. At one point in time, it served as a branch of the Bank of England.

Aligned with our efforts to honor the legacy of great architecture and design, Waterworks supports the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, the Nantucket Historical Association and the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation. Waterworks believes in supporting non-profit organizations that educate professionals and the general public in architecture, design and its allied arts in furtherance of their preservation for future generations.

We care about the well-being of our people, customers, and communities, which is an important factor that influences our actions in many areas of our business operations. Our ESG programs are designed in part to support the ethical treatment of people, including our associates, customers, vendors and other stakeholders. We seek to promote workplace health and favorable working conditions for our people.

Our goal is to have the right person in every position throughout our organization. We have a policy that prohibits us from discriminating against any applicant or associate. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, discipline, job assignments, benefits, transfer and discharge.

RH is committed to providing a productive work environment free of unlawful harassment. Our company policies prohibit any form of harassment that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, abusive or offensive work environment.

We maintain an open door policy where our associates are encouraged to stop by to discuss any suggestions or address any concerns they might have. We believe that most work-related obstacles can be best addressed through open and honest communications.

We maintain an anonymous hotline where submitted complaints, concerns and grievances are reviewed and addressed with the objective that no associate submitting such complaints will be disciplined, penalized or otherwise retaliated against for raising a good-faith concern either through the hotline or under our open door policy.

COVID-19 Response
In 2021, RH undertook a variety of steps to continue to protect the health, safety and well-being of our associates and customers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The practices we adopted with respect to COVID-19 in addressing the health and safety of our associates and customers represented a substantial investment in order to promote health and wellness consistent with responsible business operations. These measures have changed over time in response to the evolution in applicable legal requirements as well as changes in the status of the pandemic. RH continues to update its policies and procedures in response to changing conditions, including the latest virus trends and government guidance.

Our Associates
We believe deeply that the “right” people are our greatest asset. Our success is thus dependent upon our ability to retain continued service of our key personnel, particularly our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and to attract, retain and motivate qualified leaders and associates across all parts of our organization, including Galleries, Hospitality, Outlets, Showrooms, distribution centers, home delivery centers and customer delight centers.

For fiscal 2022, the combined teams at RH and Waterworks are approximately 6,200 people comprised of full-time, part-time and temporary associates, including those based in our retail and outlet locations as of January 28, 2023. In fiscal 2021, we began to include Waterworks associates as part of our workforce diversity metrics, which includes the charts on our “Our People,” our “Gender Diversity” and on our “Racial and Ethnic Diversity.”

OUR PEOPLE

Our People

 

For us, the provision of a comprehensive benefits program is an investment in our associates. We recognize the value our associates bring to RH and to Waterworks, and we are committed to offering an array of opportunities from which they can choose. We offer the following to eligible associates:

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Employee Assistance Program
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts 401(K) Retirement Savings Plan
Transit and Parking Benefits (Pre-Tax) Associate Discounts
Health Savings Account Referral Bonuses
Life Insurance Other wellness benefits
Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance  

Workforce Health & Wellness
RH is committed to protecting the health and safety of our associates in the design, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and delivery of our products and services. The RH Health & Safety Program follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act model to establish processes, identify controls, and facilitate continuing improvement. Through this program we are dedicated to preventing accidents, injuries and illnesses by implementing and maintaining effective health and safety practices and policies. We recognize the importance of integrating safety practices into all aspects of our business and strive for continuous improvement.

One of the key benefits of prioritizing associate’s health and safety is that it leads to increased productivity and efficiency. Associates who feel safe and secure in their workplace are more likely to be engaged and motivated, which can lead to increased productivity and better performance. In addition, creating a culture of safety and well-being can reduce the number of workplace accidents and injuries, which can lead to reduced downtime and costs associated with workers' compensation claims. In 2022, we reduced the number of beyond first aid injuries by 22.2% from the prior year. Improved case management and partnership with our business leaders led to a significant reduction in Lost Days (number of days that an associate is absent from work due to work injury) by 47.7% from 2021.

In May 2022, we implemented the RH Workplace Nurse Line, available 24/7 in English and Spanish. The Nurse Line connects our associates and leaders with a medical professional that can advise on care. The registered nurse guides our associates and leaders in making medical treatment decisions. Nurse Line conducts a follow-up call with our injured associate if the case is first aid only. Associates may call back Nurse Line at any time to seek further assistance or if the injury worsens. The Nurse Line is connected to our insurance carrier and any injury that requires medical treatment automatically generates a claim.

In October 2022, we partnered with AlertMedia to promote the safety of our people during critical events, such as inclement weather, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, power outages, security risks, civil unrest, etc. The platform monitors global threats around our locations 24/7, validates the information, and provides the Safety & Security team the necessary details to take action. The Safety & Security Team can then use AlertMedia to inform business leaders or communicate important information directly to our associates and leaders. The partnership expands the capacity of our Safety & Security operation, improves business contingency, and reduces response time for critical events. We chose AlertMedia to keep our people safe, informed and connected.

Prioritizing associates' health and safety is essential for regulatory compliance. RH complies with various local, state, and federal laws and regulations related to workplace health and safety. By prioritizing employee health and safety, we can facilitate compliance with relevant laws and regulations, reducing the risk of legal and financial impacts.

Prioritizing employee health and safety is a critical aspect of RH's ESG practices. It is not only an ethical and social responsibility but also a key factor in improving business performance, attracting and retaining top talent, enhancing reputation and brand image, and facilitating regulatory compliance. By creating a safe and healthy working environment, we can achieve long-term success and contribute to a more sustainable and socially responsible business ecosystem.

To further take care of our people in 2022, we offered the following additional perks and initiated new home office programs, including:

Opening a wellness studio at the Home Office, providing employees an opportunity to work out and focus on health and fitness;

Providing home office employees an opportunity to take the flu shot on-site free of charge;

Partnering with Headspace to provide employees the opportunity to focus on their mental health; and

Partnering with Peloton to provide corporate discounts to RH associates.

Workforce Diversity
We maintain a diverse workforce. RH is an equal opportunity employer, and we believe in meritocratic hiring. We strongly believe our performance is enhanced by our workforce being comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds, skills and experience that align with the needs of our business.

We believe this approach naturally leads to a gender and ethnically diverse workforce. We believe that our commitment to diversity is demonstrated by the composition of our workforce.

The following charts present the gender, racial and ethnic composition of our workforce over the past four fiscal years. As part of our workforce diversity metrics for fiscal 2021, we included 330 people at Waterworks. For fiscal 2022, our metrics included approximately 400 people at Waterworks.

Gender Diversity

FY19

FY19

FY20

FY20

 

FY21

FY21

FY22

FY22

Female / Male

Racial and Ethnic Diversity

FY19

Racial & Ethnic Diversity FY19

FY20

Racial & Ethnic Diversity FY20

 

FY21

Racial & Ethnic Diversity FY21

FY22

Racial & Ethnic Diversity FY22

For topics related to the composition of our board and its diversity please refer to “—Composition and Qualifications of our Board of Directors” under the section “Corporate Governance.”

Responsible Sourcing
We expect our values and principles to be maintained throughout our business, including our supply chain. We require our vendors to adhere to our Vendor Code of Conduct (the “Vendor Code of Conduct”). Our Vendor Code of Conduct is designed to promote the principles of fair and ethical treatment of workers, compliance with all applicable local laws, rules and regulations, and transparency to allow for accountability and reasonable substantiation of compliance.

Through our Vendor Code of Conduct, as well as other requirements such as our vendor operations manual, our vendors must agree to adhere to numerous workplace standards and principles, including compliance with laws and requirements relating to wages and compensation, the support of freedom of association, the prevention of unlawful discrimination and the promotion of the health, safety and dignity of people that work for vendors participating in our supply chain.

To monitor compliance of vendors with the Vendor Code of Conduct and other applicable requirements necessary to promote the production of safe products that meet RH’s standards in appropriate working conditions, we rely on our Social and Vendor Compliance Program and our Product Safety and Compliance Program. Both of these programs leverage third-party organizations in order to monitor that our vendors are adhering to our expected standards.

We have partnered with international non-profit organizations including Fair Working Conditions, GoodWeave, and Label STEP, to monitor our third party vendors with respect to working conditions and compliance with labor standards. Our approach includes working with mission-minded organizations that can monitor our suppliers’ factories, workshops, and home based work, and can take other measures to support our vendors in complying with standards related to working conditions and responsible practices.

Our suppliers are expected to acknowledge adherence to our Vendor Code of Conduct and other requirements which set forth numerous vendor obligations and rules related to compliance with applicable working conditions and other standards in support of responsible business practices. Vendors in our network must participate in our Social and Vendor Compliance Program, which authorizes us and our agents access to conduct inspections and audits of vendors’ facilities.

We have partnered with Benchmark International to monitor for products made with endangered plant species or plant species that are harvested illegally. Benchmark International, LLC is an accredited, independent auditing and testing lab with world-wide expertise in the areas of the U.S. Lacey Act & EUTR compliance, TSCA compliance and wood testing.

RH and Waterworks continue to partner with Assent, an industry-leading supply chain data management company that enhances automation and accuracy when collecting, submitting or managing data related to ESG, product safety & compliance and vendor compliance. Assent has automated our processes such as vendor onboarding and other vendor compliance processes.

We have established guidelines around the use in our supply chain of conflict minerals (which we define to include columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, gold, wolframite, and their derivatives, which are limited to tantalum, tin and tungsten) sourced from central African countries to address concerns over the exploitation and trade of minerals that supports ongoing conflicts in the region.

We require our vendors to conduct their sourcing in compliance with local and internationally recognized laws and with commonly viewed best industry practices with respect to animal welfare. We do not condone the mistreatment of animals. We monitor certain animal and natural products such as those made with down and feathers, including a number of measures and practices in support of our efforts to obtain down and feathers from ethical and humane sources. We offer alternatives to down and feathers with respect to many of our products to provide for additional customer choice and preference. We also comply with and monitor bans in certain states and municipalities on the sale of fur, and we monitor supply chain traceability with regard to the sources of our Belgian linen.

Since 2021, RH has partnered with Benchmark International, LLC to support due diligence on the wood raw materials and components used in RH products. This partnership focuses on building transparency throughout RH supply chains to identify, evaluate, and mitigate risk associated with wood materials potentially taken, possessed, transported, or sold in contravention of domestic, tribal, or foreign law, as required by the U.S. Lacey Act.

Ethical Manufacturing
We continue to evaluate risks and update our approach to monitoring ethical production across our supply chain. Taking into account many factors, including but not limited to the country of manufacturing, origin of raw materials, product category and data from the Department of Labor (Bureau of International Labor Affairs) we have created a comprehensive vendor product program to monitor and address human rights risks in our supply chain.

As one element of this program, we partner with third parties that assist in monitoring vendor production facilities, including labor and other practices. GoodWeave – a non-profit organization that is focused on the elimination of child labor in the rug supply chain – provides us with assistance with respect to handwoven rug production. We also partner with Label STEP, a fair trade non-profit organization committed to worker wellbeing in the rug industry.

Our overall vendor product program is centered around the core belief of “Continuous Improvement”. We believe that vendor facility audits provide an opportunity to identify areas for improvement in operations and standards and opportunities to enhance vendor practices over a period of time. The corrective actions (CAPS) generated from each audit incorporates practical solutions and practices which can be implemented on factory floors on a regular and consistent basis. Fair Working Conditions (FWC) combines trainings with corrective action to encourage vendors and factories to make sustainable long term change. Having on the ground support and partnership from third party partners is instrumental in guiding vendors with the objective of their ongoing adherence to our Vendor Code of Conduct.

Modern (Anti) Slavery Policy
We provide a link to the statement published by RH and RH Global Holdings, Inc., pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, in which we disclose certain steps RH has taken to ensure that slavery, servitude, forced labour, and human trafficking (collectively, ‘Modern Slavery’) does not occur in any part of our business or supply chains. We expect our supply chain (both direct and indirect suppliers) to adhere to our Vendor Code of Conduct. Here is a link to our Modern (Anti) Slavery Policy and Statement.

Product Safety & Compliance
We maintain a product safety and compliance program in support of our efforts to sell products that are safe and to protect our customers and our people. We seek to maintain a level of safety of our products through a range of measures to assess and identify opportunities to promote prompt responses to any identified issues. Our safety assurance measures include a variety of monitoring procedures and practices such as inspection and testing of samples, site visits of our vendors’ production facilities and inspection of inbound shipments at our distribution facilities.

The RH Product Safety & Compliance team works in partnership with our vendors, third-party laboratories, and technical experts in connection with testing for regulatory, industry, and brand standards. We believe that partnering with accredited labs across the globe helps RH to monitor products and materials for issues of safety and quality.

As part of the adoption of any new product, the RH Product Safety & Compliance team reviews products at the individual SKU level as well as across collections of similar products to address product safety and regulatory requirements and establish the appropriate test protocols to be applied. We work closely with third-party testing laboratories to execute product testing in accordance with RH’s specifications.

In 2022, we partnered with ICW, a cloud based product safety & compliance testing platform that streamlines testing of RH products. ICW enables RH to track testing progress, increase efficiencies around testing and use data analytics to drive compliance decisions and mitigate risk.

In addition to certifications and testing, we actively monitor CPSC and other industry related safety alerts and product recalls are listed on our website. Often these recalls are conducted on a voluntary basis to avoid any potential harm. As such, our notices provide detailed updates of the products that are recalled, the reason, and the reimbursement, replacement or refund opportunities.

Through our Product Safety & Compliance testing program, RH also monitors various chemicals that may be hazardous to human health and/or the environment.

The GREENGUARD standard is used to determine emissions caused by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from building materials, finishes and furnishings. We require certain RH Baby & Child merchandise to have received GREENGUARD Gold certification, the highest level of certification under GREENGUARD, requiring that such products meet strict chemical emissions limits and screening them for over 10,000 chemicals and more than 360 VOCs. We are in the process of expanding our offering of GREENGUARD certified collections to include additional products beyond those currently offered under this standard. We currently offer one of the largest assortments of GREENGUARD Gold certified baby and child furniture with over 3,300 baby and child products certified. Along with RH Baby & Child products, we also have a small selection of RH Main Brand products and collections GREENGUARD certified.

Philanthropy
RH follows a number of approaches in relation to charitable donations and other aspects of philanthropy. As part of various Gallery Development projects, RH has donated products and design services to civic centers, local charities and schools in order to engender community goodwill. Since 2016, we have donated close to $47 million of product at cost to a variety of charities and non-profit organizations related to the communities where we live and work. Additionally, RH sponsors local community charities in connection with Gallery opening events. We have made numerous donations to third party charities in connection with our business operations. Examples of non-profit organizations to whom we have made donations include Art Institute Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Children’s Choir, The Denver Art Museum, Children’s Hospital Colorado, RxArt, The Art of Elysium, Moffitt Cancer Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas City, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, After-School All-Stars Las Vegas, Seattle Art Museum, Norton Museum of Art, SickKids Foundation, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation, The First Art Museum, Free Arts NYC, Friends of the Highline, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Columbus Museum of Art, 3Arts, Two x Two, Crossroads School for the Arts, Tipping Point and Eat.Learn.Play.

RH also provides local donations to communities where our associates live and work, and in the case of the northern California wildfires in recent years, donated goods to help support rest areas for first responders, temporary shelters for fire victims, and the relief and rebuilding efforts of those who were affected by the fires. Other examples of organizations to whom we have made donations include: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, UCSF Dec My Room, San Francisco Toy Program, SchoolsRule Marin, Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, PlumpJack Foundation, Slide Ranch, The BreastFest, Helix School, Dress for a Cure, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, 826DC, 826Valencia, Homeward Bound of Marin, Gilead House, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Bay Area, Conolly Ranch, Vina Capital Foundation (Covid Relief), and many local schools and smaller nonprofit organizations close to our Galleries, distribution centers and corporate office.

Waterworks has donated close to $40,000 in products and $11,000 in funds to non-profits and organizations in the surrounding communities. In addition to this they have sponsored volunteer day programs for its associates with various local non-profit organizations such as with Pratt Nature Center, Habitat for Humanity, Golden Heart Ranch, and Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. Since 2014, Waterworks has been an active and regular supporter of Ann’s Place, a non-profit organization that serves and supports individuals with cancer.

Rain Room Donation to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
As part of the launch of our contemporary art program in 2013, RH acquired the first edition of Rain Room by the art collective Random International in 2012. The Rain Room was exhibited at London’s Barbican Centre, The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2016, we ultimately decided to donate the Rain Room to LACMA as part of LACMA’s permanent collection.

2022 Holiday Giving Campaign
In November 2022, RH initiated an associate giving campaign in collaboration with World Central Kitchen whereby every donation made by associates would be matched dollar for dollar up to $250,000 by RH. All donations collected went toward providing fresh meals to people in response to crises situations across the world.

We have numerous governance policies and practices as noted above in this proxy statement in the section entitled “Corporate Governance” regarding our Board of Directors and overall governance framework.

Ethical Conduct
At RH, we’re committed to conducting our affairs in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the countries in which we do business. Our Code of Business Conduct (the “Code of Conduct”) applies to everyone at RH, including our associates, officers and directors, in addition to certain independent contractors, consultants and advisors who work at our facilities or on the Company’s behalf. We also have a Code of Ethics for our Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers that promotes honest and ethical conduct and compliance.

Our Code of Conduct is designed to promote honest and ethical conduct, including (i) the promotion of honest and ethical business practices, (ii) the handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships, (iii) compliance with governmental laws, rules and regulations, (iv) prompt internal reporting of violations, and (v) accountability for adherence to the requirements of the Code of Conduct. A few of the topics and issues covered by our Code of Conduct include:

Anti-Bribery Insider Trading
Anti-Corruption Investment Policy
Conflicts of Interest Political Contributions & Lobbying
Fair Competition U.S. Sanctions Compliance Policy
Fair Dealing Whistleblower policy
Gifts & Entertainment  

 

RH’s Chief Compliance Officer oversees and administers the Company’s corporate and compliance policies with the objective of (i) fostering a culture that integrates compliance and ethics into business processes and practices and (ii) maintaining and monitoring a system for reporting and investigating potential compliance and ethics concerns.

The Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and/or the Nominating and Governance Committee as appropriate with regard to (i) the Company’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, (ii) relevant topics concerning the Company’s corporate governance, and (iii) any other material matters within the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer.

We further discuss some of our compliance and governance policies and practices below.

Anti-Corruption Policy
Our anti-corruption policy supplements our Code of Conduct and requires compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the growing body of international anti-corruption laws and prohibits the Company and our affiliates, directors, officers, associates, agents and representatives from unduly influencing officials or foreign governments and political officials. Oversight for this policy falls under RH’s Chief Compliance Officer.

We require our vendors to comply with our anti-corruption standards including periodically renewing certifications to the Company of the vendor’s compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and other applicable anti-corruption laws and regulations.

As part of our broader anti-corruption efforts, we have adopted processes and procedures with the objective of avoiding transactions with countries sanctioned by the U.S. government. Among other compliance measures, we monitor business activity and third parties to reduce the risk of conducting transactions with sanctioned parties, specifically including persons and entities identified on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).

We additionally have an expenditure and signature authority policy that is refreshed annually by our Board of Directors that covers the expenditure limits of our associates, including executives by level, and that further typically limits associates from binding the Company to contractual obligations outside of their principal areas of responsibilities.

Conflict Minerals Policy
We seek to source safe, quality products made in a manner consistent with our values of ethical business conduct, the use of responsible social and environmental practices and the protection of human rights. We maintain a Conflict Minerals Policy that is incorporated into our Vendor Operations Manual, which our suppliers are able to access via a secure website. We expect that our direct suppliers will comply with our Conflict Minerals Policy and that they will (i) provide appropriate information and conduct necessary due diligence to facilitate our disclosures under Form SD regarding sources of conflict minerals within our supply chain pursuant to Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (ii) implement and communicate to their relevant personnel and suppliers policies that are consistent with our Conflict Minerals Policy, (iii) put in place procedures and contractual provisions for the traceability of conflict minerals, working with their suppliers as applicable, (iv) use reasonable efforts to source conflict minerals from smelters and refiners that have been validated by a recognized, independent third party as DRC conflict free, and (v) adopt a risk management strategy with respect to identified risks in the supply chain that is consistent with our Conflict Minerals Policy.

Information Security and Information Security Incident Response Plan
The safeguarding of confidential and sensitive information, including proprietary information, is critical to the success of our business as well as the continued availability of our information assets.

Our approach to the identification, monitoring and management of data security risks has been developed pursuant to a number of different approaches to mitigate cybersecurity threats, including the adoption of technical, policy and administrative cybersecurity controls as well as reliance on RH’s Information Security Incident Response Plan and cybersecurity training.

The Company conducts various risks assessments in the area of cybersecurity including periodic independent information security risk audits. Through these assessments, the Company seeks to evaluate its information security posture against a benchmark prescribed by independent third-party firms with expertise in this area.

The type of sensitive information we may address in our business operations include, without limitation, data related to our customers, associates, temporary associates, contractors, or the personal identity of a business partner or other content specific to an individual. Some examples of this information include credit or debit card numbers and other similar sensitive information.

Our Privacy Policies detail how we collect, use, disclose and safeguard the information our customers’ provide us through our websites and mobile software systems, as well as our physical properties such as our Galleries, Outlets, distribution centers, etc. We uphold our customers’ privacy rights through a number of measures. We offer our customers opportunities to unsubscribe to promotion communications, opt-out of information transfers to third-parties, and request deletion of personal information.

Our information security incident response plan provides a framework for our response to a cyber-security incident, and includes procedures to identify, assess and mitigate the source of a cyber-security breach, to minimize damage where possible and to restore normal operations as promptly as practicable.

We categorize our data assets and tailor our security architecture to protect them using a criticality approach. By using an industry-accepted critical security controls framework to measure our cyber-security and protocols, we are able to monitor the use and performance of our:

Data security Backup and recovery systems
Network security Application security
Logging activities Vulnerability management
Endpoint detection, response and configuration Access management

Our information security incident response plan provides a framework for our response to a cyber-security incident, and includes procedures to identify, assess and mitigate the source of a cyber-security breach, to minimize damage where possible and to restore normal operations as promptly as practicable.

Cyber Liability Insurance Policy
We maintain a cyber liability insurance policy that covers certain losses and liabilities arising from cyber-attacks and data breaches. Subject to its terms and limitations, our policy includes coverage for business interruption and other costs associated with a covered breach event such as forensic consultants, notice to affected individuals and certain defense and litigation proceedings. The coverage limits and self-insured retentions are reviewed on an annual basis. 

Board Oversight of Cybersecurity Matters
The Audit Committee assumes primary responsibility at the board level for the monitoring and oversight of cybersecurity issues and risks related to information security. The Company regularly reports to the Audit Committee, typically on a quarterly basis, regarding information security and cybersecurity matters, including the results of risk assessments and third party audits as well as the Company’s adoption of security enhancements to mitigate risk related to cybersecurity threats. See “Corporate Governance—Board’s Role in Risk Oversight.” Ms. Mitic, a member of our Audit Committee, has specific applicable experience that relates to the importance of information security around personal information of consumers. We believe that Ms. Mitic’s current experience at eBay, Inc. as well as her prior experience at Yahoo! and Facebook, is particularly relevant in relation to our Board’s review and monitoring of cybersecurity topics.

Investment Policy
Our investment policy requires that investment assets held by us meet the objective of safety and preservation of principal while providing sufficient liquidity to meet the operating cash requirements of the Company, with the objective of investing funds at favorable yields with minimum risk.

U.S. Sanctions Compliance Policy
Our U.S. sanctions compliance policy requires that we screen our vendors to reduce the risk of transactions with countries and parties that are embargoed and sanctioned by the U.S. government.

Whistleblower Policies
Our SOX whistleblower policy addresses the reporting of certain categories of misconduct, including misconduct related to accounting practices, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and prohibits retaliation against those reporting such misconduct. Submissions may be made on an anonymous basis. We also have other programs to allow for reporting of potential misconduct in other aspects of our business.

Disclosure Committee & Charter
We have a Disclosure Committee to assist the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer in fulfilling their responsibility for oversight of the establishment, maintenance, review and evaluation of controls and other procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in its publicly filed reports pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in applicable rules and forms, that the Company’s public disclosures are materially accurate and complete and otherwise comply with applicable disclosure requirements, and that there exists an open avenue of communication regarding disclosure such that senior leadership can make informed decisions relating to materiality and disclosure obligations.

Membership of the Committee is designated by our Chief Executive Officer and includes executives representing key areas of the Company’s operations that may be relevant to the Company’s filings with the SEC and other public disclosures, including senior representatives from the following key areas of the Company: finance and accounting, legal, tax, compliance, risk, internal audit.

Chief Compliance Officer & Charter
In 2020, the Board of Directors formally established a charter that sets forth certain responsibilities and requirements applicable to our Chief Compliance Officer, inclusive of overseeing and administering the Company’s corporate and compliance policies with the objective of fostering a culture that integrates compliance and ethics into business processes and practices and maintaining and monitoring a system for reporting and investigating potential compliance and ethics concerns. The Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Audit Committee and/or the Nominating and Governance Committee as appropriate with regard to the Company’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, relevant topics concerning the Company’s corporate governance, and any other material matters within the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer.

Other Appropriate Uses of Corporate Funds
To provide further assurance around the appropriate use of corporate funds for business purposes and to further assist with mitigation of risks around conflicts of interest and corruption, we have adopted several policies and guidelines that cover such items as (i) the authority of our associates to bind the company to certain contractual obligations, and (ii) limitations and controls around expenditures related to travel, entertaining and gifting and other expenses.

Political Activity
We generally do not use corporate funds to make contributions to support or oppose federal, state or local political parties, candidates or campaigns or offer our Galleries in support of such efforts. Our statement on political activity is available on the Investor Relations section of our website, located under “Governance.”

One of our core values is innovation. We value innovation, taking risks and boldly going where no company has gone before. We believe you’re either striving to get better, or allowing yourself to get worse – there is no such thing as staying the same. The power of innovation comes from leveraging the creative minds and spirit of all of our people, at all levels of the organization. We strive to build an environment that encourages people to challenge conventional thinking, and to ask “why?” and “why not?” We embrace those people who have the courage to put forth new ideas and breathe new life into our company. Innovation is at the core of what we do.

We continue to evolve and innovate our programs and our approach to ESG matters.