Corporate social responsibility policy

We acknowledge that running our business has an effect on society and it`s wellbeing. In particular, we have a responsibility to our clients, our employees and contractors as well as the broader community in which we operate. 

We are committed to taking responsibility for our actions and encourage positive contribution towards improving standards for our clients and employees, minimising our impact on the environment and improving the quality of the local community. Moreover we stand for digital sustainability – the means by which digitalisation, as a key part of the fourth industrial revolution, can deliver on global sustainability goals.

 By putting CSR into practice, we are committed, wherever possible, to:

• Conducting ourselves responsibly and in an ethical manner
• Creating a positive and supportive working environment
• Supporting local communities
• Improving service levels to clients
• Investing in growth of digital know how of the society
• Acting fairly and transparently in our dealings with suppliers and other third parties
• Minimising the impact on our environment.

COMMUNICATION

We communicate this policy to our employees, clients and other stakeholders by means of our website, publicity materials, and internal memos, policies and regulations.

We regularly provide our employees with training on our CSR strategy and targets, as well as this policy, and seek to raise awareness of any negative impacts of our business and methods to reduce them.

RESPONSIBILITY AND REVIEW

Our nominated officers, who have overall responsibility for our CSR strategy and for implementing this policy is our management team. Thus we ensure that our CSR goals are reached both locally – in the countries where our affiliates are, as well as globally – at the Squalio Group level. The key role of our nominated officers is in ensuring the systems and controls we have in place are effective.

 Likewise we believe all our employees have a role to play in complying with our CSR objectives and therefore we encourage them to make further suggestions in relation to processes we could improve and new initiatives we could undertake. If anyone has a suggestion, they should contact our nominated officers directly or on the Group level by sending an email to comliance@squalio.com

We are fully committed to the highest possible standards of honesty and fairness,  impartiality, independence,  professionalism, loyalty and respect, openness, honesty and accountability. In line with this commitment, in accordance with our Code of Ethics and Whistleblowing Policy/Internal reporting mechanism, we actively encourage all staff members who have serious concerns about any real or perceived departure from the high ethical standard that we set to voice such concerns openly.

 We are committed to sustaining and continuously improving our corporate social responsibility policy. As part of our ongoing commitment, this policy is reviewed at least annually to verify its effective operation. Records on adjustments made are properly maintained.

OUR CSR PRINCIPLES

We aim to adopt the highest professional standards and not to act in such a way so as to compromise or impair integrity of the Squalio Group companies.

We actively promote respect between our employees in their dealings with each other as well as with clients and other third parties.

OUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT

We recognise that our employees are our most important resource. We care and therefore actively seek to offer our employees a positive and healthy working environment and ensure that they have rewarding careers and job satisfaction.

 We seek to ensure that all employees have access to the training they need both for their own development and to enable them to deliver a high quality service.

We consider all employees to be equal and we aim to create a working environment which is free of unlawful discrimination.

The purpose of our Working Procedure Regulations to establish joint standards of conduct and ethics in the companies of SQUALIO Group, to facilitate an Employee’s prudent and accountable ethical awareness and culture of conduct, as well as to develop such business practice that is based on underlying principles of ethics and that helps Employees find answers to questions concerning various ethical dilemmas.  The underlying principles of professional ethics and conduct are equally binding to all Employees of the Squalio Group Companies regardless of their position they hold in their daily work or the type of cooperation we have with the Squalio Group Company’s suppliers, customers, media and the general public.

OUR COMMUNITY

In considering our impact on the community we have undertaken to support NGO’s and local charities. Digitalisation is our core engagement as we believe it is one of the key elements to the digital sustainability of the society.

We welcome our employees to get involved in support of their chosen charity and to encourage dialogue with local communities and groups for mutual benefit.

OUR CLIENTS

We are committed to delivering a high level of service to all our clients. We understand that our business exists in a very competitive market and in order to retain our clients we need to deliver a professional and courteous service.

 Wherever possible, we take steps to promote equal opportunity in relation to access to the legal services that we provide. We take account of the diversity of the communities we serve in order to ensure that, subject to funding or accessibility constraints, our services are accessible to all clients.

SUPPLIERS

We are committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and to promoting equality and diversity in our professional dealings with suppliers and other third parties.

We endeavour to enter into clear and fair contracts with our suppliers, and create responsible partnerships. We commit to clear and transparent cooperation and to the timely settlement of liabilities resulting from such dealings.

Wherever possible, we aim to support the local economy by having contracts with local suppliers.

ENVIRONMENT

We are committed to behaving responsibly and to minimising our impact on the environment. We aim to minimise our impact on the environment by:

• Helping communities take on challenges, big and small. Squalio Group brings the power of its technology, resources, and people to help with initiatives around the globe.
• Selling and developing  technology solutions and providing support in respect to such, to help people better understand their impact and actions.
• Minimising waste and adopting sensible recycling policies in respect of our paper and food consumption.
• When purchasing goods and services, the environmental impact of which during their entire lifecycle would be lower than the impact of goods and services that share the same primary functions.
• Providing safe and comfortable working conditions.
• Encouraging our employees to walk or cycle to work.
• Ensuring that electrical equipment and lights are off when not in use.
• Ensuring that heating is turned off or down outside office hours.

RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility for this policy, including an annual review of the policy to:

• Ensure that it remains up to date, compliant and relevant to the needs of the organisation and its clients
• Verify that it is in effective operation across the practice.