Customers ask, Kaiko answers. "How do you ensure that the factory has good conditions for the workers?"

Greetings from Ponte de Lima! The majority of our products are manufactured at the Finnish-owned Cottonhouse Lda factory in northern Portugal, which employs 65 people.

Cottonhouse's Finnish CEO, Riikka Keski-Vähälä de Oliveira, is responsible for employees, purchases and products. He makes sure that suppliers and partners follow ecological and ethical values.

Cottonhouse maintains the professionalism of its employees with an ongoing professional training program and offers all employees 35 hours of professional training per year. In addition, private occupational health care and occupational safety services guarantee a healthy and safe working environment for employees. In addition, the company closely monitors the development of technology and the machine stock is kept up-to-date.

At Cottonhouse, employees are paid at least the minimum wage or higher, depending on the job. In addition to the basic salary, incentive bonuses are paid, for example for diligence, and production bonuses. Salary is also paid for the summer vacation (3 weeks) and the Christmas vacation (1 week). Possible overtime is agreed upon together with the employee and overtime compensation is paid for it. According to the new collective agreement in Portugal, in the textile industry, if necessary, overtime can be done for 2 hours/day and a maximum of 200 hours per year. In Portugal, statutory maternity and parental leave is five months. After that, one of the child's parents can work a shortened, six-hour work day until the child is one year old. The salary is paid for a full eight hours. Annual increases are also added to the salary in accordance with laws and regulations.