Our Business Principles
As an international company, we must ensure that we have the trust and respect of each and every local community in which we operate. The Vodafone Business Principles set out our ethical standards to ensure we deliver this in our operations. They are set within the Vodafone Code of Conduct which explains how to apply them in practice.
| Compliance with the law | We will comply with the provisions of all applicable domestic and international laws and appropriate standards and principles. |
| Financial integrity | We will provide the best possible return for our shareholders over the longer term. We will base our investment decisions, acquisitions and business relationships on economic criteria but will also take into account social and environmental considerations. |
| Public policy | We will voice our opinions on government proposals and other matters that may affect Vodafone and our stakeholders. We will not make gifts or donations to political parties or intervene in party political matters. |
| Communications | We will communicate openly and transparently with all our stakeholders within the bounds of commercial confidentiality. We will protect confidential information from improper disclosure, and any authorised communication of confidential information should be limited to individuals who need it to carry out their work. |
| Customers | We will value the trust our customers place in us and will safeguard the information provided to us. |
| Employees | We will base relationships with and between employees on respect for individuals and their human rights and will not tolerate child labour. We will not accept any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying. We will pursue equality of opportunity and inclusion for all employees through our employment policies and practices. |
| Environment | We will commit to protecting the environment. We will minimise our use of finite resources (such as energy, water and raw materials) and the release of harmful emissions to the environment (including waste, air emissions and discharges to water). We will seek to improve the environmental performance of the products and services we provide, as well as support those that offer environmental and social benefits to our customers. |
| Communities and society | We will engage with local communities to help us understand and respond to any concerns they may have, for example in relation to network deployment. We will always provide our stakeholders with access to correct, relevant and current information and build trust through integrity, transparency, honesty and objectivity. We will invest in society in a way that makes effective use of our resources, including support for charitable organisations. |
| Health and safety | We will protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our customers, employees, partners and the communities in which we operate and disclose any information that comes to our knowledge that clearly demonstrates that any of our products or services breach internationally accepted safety standards or guidelines. |
| Individual conduct | We will act with honesty, integrity and fairness in our dealings both internally and externally. We will not tolerate any form of bribery, including improper offers of payments or gifts to or from employees. We will avoid any contracts that might lead to, or suggest, a conflict of interest between personal activities and the business. We will neither give nor accept hospitality or gifts that might appear to incur an obligation. We will pursue mutually beneficial relationships and seek to promote the application of our Business Principles with our business partners and suppliers. |
