Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

Transcription

1 Corporate Social Responsibility Policy V1.02

2 Introduction 4net Technologies Ltd is committed to a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, which is tangible, practical and supports the business ethos, ensuring that it is adopted and supported across the business. 4net s CSR policy covers the following areas: Our People Dignity at Work Our Customers Our Partners Our Community The Environment Positively Promote CSR In addition, we act in a socially responsible manner, taking into account the relevant social and environmental factors that will promote this attitude across the market in which we operate. Our Vision To be the preferred partner of choice for organisations wishing to transform the way they communicate with customers, staff and stakeholders, helping them to reduce cost and gain competitive advantage. Ethos Although we may change and evolve in what we do our culture remains constant. We encourage: Honesty Integrity Getting it right the first time Teamwork Commitment Pride in what we do If we follow the principals above we will ensure that 4net has happy people which means we have happy customers. 2

3 Our People We believe that the foundation to our success is our people and we are proud to boast a far higher than average retention rate within our industry, due to our holistic approach to staff management. 4net Technologies employees are happy and engaged and go above and beyond for their customers. Our success depends upon recruiting and retaining the best people in the industry. Our employees deliver the customer service that we, and our customers, rely upon and investing in our people is key to our success. Each member of staff has a structured training and development programme, combined with a personal development plan, which is based upon individual requirements and aspirations. We encourage and mentor development and training, including (where appropriate) meeting recruitment industry standards and accreditations. By working closely with local Universities, we have launched a Graduate Apprenticeship Scheme, which identifies people with the right skills and attitudes to join our business. This is a structured programme with key development objectives and milestones. Employee engagement is key to delivering industry leading customer service; we measure this through regular surveys to develop action plans, career paths and to ensure that 4net is an excellent place to work. We communicate with our employees through regular updates, face-to-face meetings, and company meetings, which incorporate strategy, reward and recognition. 4net Technologies recognise that we have a responsibility to support, promote and protect human rights principals in all that we do. We seek to operate in accordance with: The Modern Slavery Act 2015 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms We regularly review and evaluate our relationships with our suppliers and partners to ensure that they do not violate any of our minimum requirements. We will not have partners or contractors who make use of any form of forced or compulsory labour or who employ children under the age of 16. (Forced labour can take many different forms including debt bondage, trafficking and other forms of modern slavery) Dignity at Work 4net values and respects individual and cultural differences and is committed to providing an inclusive environment that is welcoming and free from discrimination. Under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 we do not tolerate discrimination on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. 4net is committed to creating a working environment that is free from harassment and bullying, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Harassment and bullying can have very serious consequences for individuals and the organisation, making people unhappy, causing them stress which can affect their health and family and social relationships. Effects on the organisation can include loss of morale, poor work performance, increased turnover of staff, legal claims and damage to the organisation s reputation. For these reasons 4net does not tolerate bullying or harassment of any kind. Allegations of bullying and harassment are investigated and, if appropriate, disciplinary action taken. 3

4 4net Technologies Ltd is an accredited as a Living Wage employer. The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at 4net Technologies, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers; receive a minimum hourly wage of significantly higher than the national minimum wage of The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the Minimum Income Standard for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet. 4net Technologies believe that the foundation to our success is our people. Our employees deliver the customer service that we, and our customers, rely upon and investing in our people is key to our success. Each member of staff has a structured training and development programme, combined with a personal development plan, which is based upon individual requirements and aspirations. It made perfect sense to us that we showed our commitment to our people by becoming an accredited Living Wage employer. We have always paid our employees a living wage but the accreditation is a tangible expression of our commitment to being a responsible employer. Paying the Living Wage is good for the economy, for business in general, for the individual and for our society. Credit - The Living Wage Foundation 4

5 Our Customers We deliver sustainable technologies to our customers, ensuring that they are the building blocks for future technological developments. Our business communication solutions remove the barriers of distance and provide a more effective mechanism whether working from a desktop, conference room, or mobile device. Using 4net s Conferencing functionality removes the need for costs associated with travel and overnight stays, allowing delegates from around the globe to attend a business meeting for just a fraction of the cost, thus reducing carbon footprint. 4net s award-winning (Managed Service of the Year at the 2014 European IT Awards), ESP tool collects 7 times more intelligence from a telephony estate than standard monitoring products offered by some of our competitors. This enables faults to be resolved remotely to eliminate the need for Technicians to travel. We can also help companies reduce the need for office space and associated costs by helping them to introduce flexible working initiatives within their organisations. We empower our people to do the right thing for our customer, ensuring that they have the knowledge and tools to do their job properly. Continually striving for excellence is what drives 4net and our partners to discover innovative uses for the technology we deliver and to deploy successful and ground-breaking solutions. So we have designed a customer award programme The 4net Innovation Award to recognise SME and Enterprise customers that have excelled in driving innovation and business value together with 4netTechnologies. Winners are selected from 4net customers who have a compelling story of technology leadership and innovation that differentiates them from others in their industry by a panel of independent judges. 4net Technologies offer special discount rates for non-profit organisations. To qualify as an eligible non-profit organisation you must have a recognised charitable status and operate on a not-for-profit basis and have a mission to benefit the local community that could include, but is not limited to: Providing relief to the poor Advancing education Improving social welfare Preserving culture Promoting human rights Preserving or restoring the environment Establishment of civil society 5

6 Our Partners We favour long-term partnerships with our partners and suppliers and in collaboration with them we seek to supply products and services that promote sustainable development, whilst meeting our corporate objectives. Our requirements include: Human Rights Employee Policy Anti Corruption The Environment Community It is important for to have a positive impact in our community in all our office locations to ensure that we meet the expectations of our people and our customers. Therefore, community aspect of our CSR message echoes the sentiment of our business and the experience shared by many of our employees; this means that it is widely adopted across the organisation. 4net offers a Matched Giving system where funds raised for charity by an employee will be matched by up to 500 per employee per annum. In addition, we have amended all staff contracts so that employees can participate in approved voluntary work for charities and the local community for 2 days per year without any loss in salary. This entitlement is in addition to their annual holiday allowance. 4net s recent engagement programmes with local communities and charities have included: A monthly contribution to, and participation in, various fundraising activities to support the Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool. Active support for children s football teams and other activities, which are local to 4net offices, for example, support to Winwick AFC since 2011 and Juno United Under 10 s from raised for The Movember Foundation, a global charity focusing on prostate cancer. 400 raised by running in the Manchester 10km Marathon for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Going the extra mile by helping and supporting our customers, for example, 4net s sponsorship of the Luton BC One Council award. This was won by the Luton Online Directory Team, for delivery of improved access to information and online services to customers. A team of employees raising a total of 747 for Cancer Research participating in the renowned Tough Mudder event at The Cholmondeley Malpas, Cheshire. MATCHED GIVING 6

7 The Environment 4net is aware that its business activities result in various environmental impacts and will comply with all relevant legislative, regulatory and other environmental requirements in order to act in a socially responsible manner. 4net strive to continuously improve our environmental performance throughout the company. 4net s Environment policy statement Continually analyse our activities to eliminate pollution and constantly improve our environmental performance. Ensure compliance with all current regulatory procedures and legislative requirements related to the environment and environmental protection. To seek, wherever possible, to conserve energy, materials and resources by limiting consumption, improving efficiency and managing wastes, in partnership with Clients and Suppliers. Provide instruction and training to all employees to ensure awareness of the environmental impacts of activities and the methods of control and impact minimisation. To encourage through purchasing policies, the acquisition of materials, energy and processes, which minimise the potential for harm to the environment. To develop and implement project specific safety and environmental plans. 7

8 Think Global Act Local! 4net aims include, but are not limited to: Constantly analysing its activities to eliminate pollution and constantly improve its environmental performance. Ensuring compliance with all current regulatory procedures and legislative requirements related to the environment and environmental protection. Minimising the use of natural resources by adhering to purchasing policies, the acquisition of materials, energy and processes, which minimise the potential for harm to the environment. Minimising the generation of waste and implement/promote recycling. Minimising pollution and promote greener transport options. Considering the environmental impact of any business decisions made. Providing instruction and training to staff at all levels to act in an environmentally responsible manner to ensure awareness of the environmental impacts of activities and the methods of control and impact minimisation. Encouraging feedback from staff on improvements and feed these into the policy. In partnership with Clients and Suppliers to seek wherever possible to conserve energy, materials and resources by limiting consumption, improving efficiency and managing wastes. Developing and implementing project specific safety and environmental plans. Promoting CSR Whilst actively addressing our own carbon footprint through the adoption of new technologies, recycling materials, lowering energy consumption and reducing business travel, we help our customers to review their environmental impact through the availability and use of business communication technology. We strive for continual improvement and to minimise the creation of waste and pollution. Energy use is monitored and kept to a minimum and we are always looking for new ways to implement efficiencies. 4net recognises and understands the importance of protecting the environment in which we operate and are fully committed to minimising the impact that running our business has on the environment and we encourage our clients, suppliers and other stakeholders to do the same. 8

9 4net s powerful combination of service excellence and technical expertise makes us the partner of choice for organisations who want to transform the way they communicate with customers, staff and stakeholders, reduce costs and gain competitive advantage. Our contact centre, unified communications, managed and cloud services are designed to address today s complex business challenges, helping you to respond to your customer and staff requirements. From simple IP Telephony Solutions to Virtual Contact Centres, from Unified Communications to Cloud Services, we partner with best in class vendors such as Avaya, Microsoft and Enghouse to deliver a solutions portfolio that will address today s changing workplace and build tomorrow s future, making 4net the preferred communications partner for many businesses across the UK and the Globe. 4net Technologies Ltd, 3 Scholar Green Road, Cobra Court, Manchester M32 0TR