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VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

Introduction

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Datavate is an IT consultancy, headquartered in East Renfrewshire, Scotland.  We provide our clients with expert consultancy and carefully designed products and services to promote their quality, information security, and business continuity systems.  We work with clients to improve their compliance, operations, and staff development.

 

Our clients have extremely high expectations of us, particularly given our capacity as advisors on ISO 9001, 27001, and 22301.  For that reason, it is essential that Datavate's vendors are also exemplary.  Our vendors’ performance is a direct reflection on Datavate.  We work hard to foster positive, constructive and supportive relationships with our vendors, and expect our vendors to meet our standards in return.

 

Vendors should ensure their own policies and processes are aligned with this Code of Conduct, and that their own supply chain meets the standards they set out.

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​General expectations

 

As a vendor of Datavate's, you are expected to:

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  • Comply with the law;

  • Work to a high standard, with relevant management systems in place to ensure this;

  • Only undertake work for Datavate which you are qualified to perform;

  • Use all reasonable care, skill and diligence to provide goods and services to the standard, specifications, and timeframe agreed;

  • Respect human rights;

  • Exercise responsible procurement;

  • Take action against harassment and abuse in your workplace;

  • Respond to reasonable inquiries from Datavate and provide supporting data as reasonably requested related to your sustainability commitments and ethical practices;

  • Avoid using Datavate employees’ contact information for unsolicited messages unrelated to our business relationship, or sell any Datavate employee data;

  • Prevent references to Datavate in your marketing or promotional materials, and prevent the use of Datavate's logo, without Datavate's prior written consent.

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Ethical conduct

 

Datavate has developed a sophisticated programme to ensure the letter and spirit of legislation, regulation and industry codes of conduct are adhered to.  Vendors must also ensure they adhere to all such standards, and take appropriate measures to satisfy themselves that they are doing so.

 

​Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption

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​You must have procedures in place to ensure no bribes are offered, accepted, or facilitated.  Your standards must meet or exceed the standard of the UK’s Bribery Act 2010, even if you operate outside of the United Kingdom.

 

​Fiscal and tax compliance

 

​You must comply with all applicable laws related to fiscal and tax compliance, including the Criminal Finances Act 2017 for businesses located in the UK.  You must have reasonable processes in place to prevent tax evasion and its facilitation.

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Gifts

 

You shouldn’t give Datavate , or any Datavate employee anything of value (including gifts, hospitality, or travel):

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  • Worth more than £50; or

  • To secure, induce or reward an improper benefit or improper performance of a function or activity.

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We expect you to decline any such gifts from your own suppliers.

 

Unfair business practices

 

You must ensure that processes are in place to ensure the prevention of money laundering, insider trading, conflicts of interest, and fraud.  Should any conflict of interest arise, you agree to let us know straightaway.

 

Whistleblowing

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You must have a process which allows staff to raise concerns in good faith, and to ensure the rights of whistleblowers are protected.

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Information security and data protection

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It’s essential that you protect all confidential information you receive from Datavate.  You must adopt and maintain processes to provide reasonable protections for personal, proprietary and confidential information, including information that they access, receive or process on behalf of Datavate.  Vendors must comply with all relevant data protection legislation.

 

You must inform Datavate of any data or security breach relevant to our information immediately.

 

Human rights conduct

 

Datavate will not work with vendors who do not uphold human rights.  Datavate recognises human rights as those defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and observes the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

 

Specifically, you should:

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  • Pay wages that meet or exceed legislation;

  • Pay wages regularly and promptly;

  • Provide all paid leave to staff which the law entitles them to;

  • Provide all benefits to staff which the law entitles them to;

  • Only require staff to work within the legal maximum number of working hours;

  • Have zero tolerance for modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in your business and supply chain;

  • Have zero tolerance for child labour in your business and supply chain;

  • Take necessary measures to ensure you do not employ anybody below the legal minimum age;

  • Ensure a safe work environment, including unrestricted access to drinking water and toilet facilities;

  • Provide your staff with any necessary personal protective equipment at no cost;

  • Meet or exceed all applicable health and safety laws.

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You must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the same standards are observed across your own supply chain.

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Living wage

 

Datavate is an accredited Living Wage employer, and vendors are strongly encouraged to commit to paying a living wage, which will be higher than the legal minimum wage.

 

Non-discrimination

 

You must ensure that you do not discriminate against anybody on any grounds, including but not limited to age, disability, ethnic or social origin, gender, gender identity, nationality, race, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political convictions, religious beliefs, union affiliation, or veteran status.

You must take action to maintain an environment free of harassment, violence, physical abuse, and verbal abuse at all times.

 

Environmental conduct

 

Datavate takes its environmental responsibilities extremely seriously, and expects its vendors to do the same. 

 

You are strongly encouraged to:

 

  • Implement processes to identify and manage risks and opportunities related to climate change;

  • Address the environmental impacts from its operations including raw material usage, greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste, air quality and biodiversity.

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Carbon emissions

 

You strongly encouraged to track, manage, and mitigate the environmental impact of your operations.  This includes establishing scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, and meeting those targets.

As your emissions will factor into Datavate's scope 3 emissions, you are strongly encouraged to disclose these to Datavate at a minimum, but preferably publicly.  You are strongly encouraged to have your carbon emissions and progress against your targets validated by an independent third party.

 

Energy

 

Energy efficiency reduces the use of resources and reduces costs.  You are encouraged to reduce energy consumption in the creation and use of your products and services.

 

Waste

 

You must encouraged to minimise waste across your operations, and manage any unavoidable waste responsibly.  You must meet or exceed local recycling rules.

 

Business continuity

 

You must have a good understanding of what activities are essential in order that you deliver the goods and services to us that you have agreed to.  You must assess the risks that might prevent you from performing those activities, and have a plan to continue delivering your service under business continuity circumstances.

 

This means that you are expected to continue providing Datavate with your services, with minimal interruption, in the event of an emergency, crisis situation, weather or other natural disaster, pandemic or epidemic, terrorist or security related event, strikes, labour or other resource constraints, system and/or facilities outage or unavailability, power outage, and/or telecommunication outage or unavailability, so as to ensure that there will be no significant disruption to Datavate's business, operations and reputation.

 

Management systems conduct

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You must maintain effective management systems to monitor and continually improve your service, including:

 

  • Identifying and mitigating risks;

  • Preventing errors, and/or detecting errors before your work is released;

  • Adopting corrections and corrective actions to remediate errors brought to your attention to prevent recurrence;

  • Proactively identify and implement measures to improve your business and performance.

 

Any circumstances which are likely to lead to your inability to meet the expectations of this Code should be reported immediately to Datavate.

 

If you find you have violated this Code, you must let Datavate know straightaway, and remedy any violation in a timely and sensitive manner.  

 

Datavate is committed to continuously reviewing and updating this Code, which may therefore be modified from time to time . For that reason, printed or local copies are uncontrolled.

 

The contents of this Code are additional to and do not in any way affect or prejudice any of Datavate's rights and remedies under the relevant contracts with each vendor, if any.  In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between any provision of this Code and the provisions of any relevant contract with any vendor, the provisions of that contract will prevail.

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