MODERN SLAVERY ACT TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT
This statement is made on behalf of Hootsuite Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Hootsuite"). We are publishing this statement in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 as a demonstration of our commitment to anti-slavery practices and an affirmation of the values we hold and adopt across our business.
Hootsuite is dedicated to ensuring that the way we conduct our business reflects our values and our belief that everyone should be treated with dignity and mutual respect in an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to practices that combat modern slavery and human trafficking, and to working with and encouraging any suppliers to uphold the principles in this statement.
Our organisational structure and business
Hootsuite is a leading social media management platform which integrates social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Hootsuite allows its 15+ million users worldwide to amongst other things, manage their social media from a single dashboard.
Hootsuite Inc. is the ultimate parent company of Hootsuite and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. We operate and have subsidiaries all over the world, including UK based Hootsuite Media UK Limited.
Our staff
We are committed to maintaining a fair and ethical workplace for all our staff, free of bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence. We prohibit the use of all forms of forced labour and any form of human trafficking.
Our Respectful Workplace Policy provides that employees of Hootsuite must:
treat co-workers with dignity and respect;
not engage in, and prevent workplace discrimination and harassment from occurring; and
report unresolved incidents of inappropriate workplace behaviour.
We also ensure compliance with all applicable employment legislation relating to employee recruitment and terms and conditions, including obtaining right to work evidence and ensuring that no staff in our global offices are paid less than the applicable national minimum or living wage.
Our supply chains
As a social media management platform, Hootsuite does not have an active supply chain of consequence, being limited largely to software, office equipment and supplies. As such, the risk of modern slavery existing within our supply chain is low. Hootsuite does, however, remain vigilant and monitor the level of risk involved through any of our supply chains and will take appropriate measures if a higher risk of modern slavery is deemed to exist.
Our policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking
We have implemented policies as part of our commitment to ethical business practices. In addition to our Respectful Workplace Policy, we also have in place a Code of Ethics which requires employees of Hootsuite to conduct business in a way that is fair, ethical and honest and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Hootsuite also holds a B Corp certification, which requires companies to meet rigorous standards in respect of its staff (measuring how staff are treated through compensation, benefits and training in addition to the overall work environment and health and safety practices), the community (evaluating supplier relations, diversity and involvement in the local community), governance (focusing particularly on accountability and transparency), as well as other areas. Further details of the B Corp certification can be found at https://www.bcorporation.net/what-are-b-corps.
Vendors
We expect all our contractors, suppliers and other business partners to uphold the same high standards as Hootsuite, by ensuring all employees and workers are treated with dignity and respect in a fair and ethical environment. We endeavour to review potential areas of risk in relation to our business and where applicable, in respect of suppliers, consider the nature of what is being supplied and the location from where it is being supplied. We will continue to look to manage any risks identified.
Training
It is important to us that our employees are aware of the issues surrounding modern slavery and support our values. We intend to work with relevant employees to reinforce any steps that should be taken and to remind them of the channels through which any concerns can be reported.
Looking ahead
We will continue to monitor and develop our practices in respect of combatting slavery or human trafficking. Our legal function is responsible for checking and testing the success of our commitments, and will work to ensure we meet our expectations.
This statement is given on behalf of Hootsuite for the financial year ending 31 December 2016. It sets out the steps taken during the financial year to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains.