Our Policy Guidelines: Ensuring Transparency
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SUPPLIERS
1.0 PURPOSE
1.1 Sify is committed to a high level of ethical, legal and professional business standards for conducting business within the organization and with our business partners.
1.2 This Supplier Code of Conduct (Code) sets out the minimum standards of behavior that Sify expects its suppliers to meet in the areas of labor, human rights, health and safety, environment, business integrity, cybersecurity and privacy, and supplier diversity.
1.3 Sify expects its suppliers and their related entities to adhere to the Sify Code of Conduct while rendering the services.
1.4 The selection of suppliers will depend on the suppliers’ ability to meet the standards as stated. This is implied to all contracts signed with Sify whether explicitly stated in the contract or not.
2.0 SCOPE
2.1 Sify Supplier Code of Conduct is applicable to all suppliers, vendors, service providers and their employees providing service to Sify Technologies and its subsidiaries.
2.2 Suppliers include suppliers, service providers, vendors, traders, consultants, third parties and their employees who provide or intend to provide goods or services to Sify Technologies and its subsidiaries.
3.0 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS
SIFY requires its suppliers and their employees, agents, and subcontractors (collectively referred to as “Suppliers”) to comply with all applicable local and international laws including the laws of the country they operate in (“applicable law”).
3.1 LABOUR AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Sify expects suppliers to respect and support the protection of the human rights of workers, as well as individuals and communities affected by their activities. When suppliers become aware of a labor incident within their company or supply chain which is in breach of this code, they must disclose it immediately to Sify.
3.1.1 Non-discrimination
Suppliers shall provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees, including on grounds of gender, age, religion, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, physical features, marital relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc
3.1.2 Harassment and Disciplinary Practices
Suppliers shall not use violence, threats of violence or other forms of physical coercion or harassment. Corporal punishment, mental, physical or verbal abuse, sexual harassment or sexual abuse, and harsh or inhumane treatment against their employees.
3.1.3 Freedom of Association
Suppliers shall respect workers’ freedom and shall not discriminate, harass, intimidate or retaliate against workers for being members of a union or participating in trade union activities, and provide worker representatives with access to their workplace.
3.1.4 Wages and Benefits
Suppliers shall comply with applicable laws of land relating to wages and benefits (including minimum wages, overtime pay, etc). Suppliers shall not use wage deductions as a form of disciplinary measure and shall pay workers in a timely manner.
3.1.5 Working Hours
Suppliers shall ensure that the working hours do not exceed the maximum prevailing local work hours. As per the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, workers shall not be required to work more than 60 hours per week (including overtime), except in extraordinary business circumstances with their consent. Employees shall be allowed at least one day off in a seven-day week.
3.1.6 Forced and Compulsory Labour
Suppliers shall not use any form of forced, bonded, compulsory labor, slavery or human trafficking. Suppliers shall not compel workers to surrender any government-issued identification, passport or work permit or any other personal document as a condition of employment.
3.1.7 Child and Underage Labour
Sify shall not tolerate Child labor. The minimum age for employment or work is 18 years of age or the age for completing compulsory education in the relevant location. Children under the age of 18 shall not be employed for any hazardous work or work that is inconsistent with their individual development.
3.1.8 Health and safety
At Sify, no job is so important or urgent that it cannot be done safely. Our suppliers play a significant role in our business and our commitment to keeping each other, our workers, customers and the public safe. Suppliers shall identify and comply with relevant workplace and product health and safety laws and ensure that their workers understand and follow health and safety policies, standards and procedures that apply to their work. Suppliers shall provide a safe and healthy workplace by:
- taking reasonable steps to identify workplace hazards and minimize the risk of workplace injury, illness, and disease for workers;
- providing appropriate equipment, resources, instruction, education, and training for workers to safely carry out their duties, including personal protective equipment;
- engaging with workers, customers, members of the community, and Sify to manage health and safety risks;
- implementing effective systems to ensure products and service delivery meet relevant standards and legislative requirements, and safety considerations are considered throughout the product lifecycle;
- ensuring facilities and amenities for workers (including any accommodation provided) are clean, safe and meets their basic needs. Basic needs include providing ready access to clean toilet facilities, potable water, and where accommodation is provided, hot water for bathing, adequate heating and ventilation, reasonable personal space and reasonable permission to enter and exit facilities;
- monitoring the health of workers and the conditions at the workplace for the purpose of preventing illness or injury of workers arising from the suppliers’ business activities; and
- supporting workers to raise health and safety issues or concerns without fear of disciplinary action, dismissal or discrimination.
- Suppliers must prepare for, respond to, manage and report workplace incidents, injuries, and emergencies, providing medical assistance to impacted parties as required.
- Suppliers must have systems, training, and emergency equipment in place to effectively respond to and manage incidents and emergencies.
3.2 ENVIRONMENT
Sify expects its suppliers shall minimize the adverse environmental impacts in the course of carrying out their operations,
3.2.1 Environmental Laws, Permits and Reporting
Suppliers shall comply with applicable environmental laws, standards, and notices from regulators. Suppliers shall obtain, maintain, keep current and comply with necessary environmental permits, approvals, and registrations.
3.2.2 Pollution Prevention and Resource Efficiency
Suppliers shall identify, monitor, minimize and treat hazardous pollutants released in the air, water, and soil. This includes management of wastewater such as discharges and spills entering storm drains and release of air emissions such as volatile organic compounds, chemicals with ozone-depleting potential, particulates and combustion by-products. Packaging supplied to Sify shall be sustainably sourced, made from recycled content and shall be recyclable where possible.
3.2.3 Climate Change and Energy Consumption
Suppliers shall identify, monitor and minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption from their own operations.
3.2.4 Product / Services
Suppliers shall deliver electrical or electronic equipment – which shall be compliant with relevant regulations in the regions of operation. Suppliers shall develop products or services that environmentally friendly throughout the lifecycle and shall use technologies that shall enhance efficiency in operations including low energy consumption, reduction of Green House Gas emissions and enable product reuse or recycling.
3.3 BUSINESS INTEGRITY
Sify is committed to the highest possible standards of ethics in conducting business between the associates and the Business Partners without taking any undue advantage of the relationship. The company has in place an “Ethics Policy” for business partners which are hosted on the company’s website (https://www.sifytechnologies.com/)
The company expects its suppliers including all employees of the supplier to act with integrity, be transparent and trustworthy in all its dealings. The suppliers shall not directly or indirectly take recourse to any unethical behavior.
3.3.1 Conflict of Interest
Suppliers shall not directly deal with any employee of Sify whose spouse or any family member or relative holds significant financial interest with the supplier. This shall lead to a conflict of interest.
If such transactions are entered into under unavoidable circumstances, then the same needs to be disclosed to the company at the time of vendor empanelment. Sify shall have the discretion to take appropriate decision at that stage
3.3.2 Bribery and Corruption
Suppliers shall comply with applicable Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption laws of India (including but not limited to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977, as amended, and the UK Bribery Act of 2010). The supplier shall have adequate policies and procedures in place to monitor compliance with such laws. Sify strictly prohibits bribes, pay-offs, “facilitation payments” (payments to speed up routine actions), secret, unjustified or inflated commissions, kickbacks and any like payments or improper benefits, whether directly or indirectly, no matter how large or small in value. This includes payments to or from any person (including public officials, political parties or candidate) for the purpose of assisting a party to obtain or retain business for or with, or to direct business to, any person. This applies even if it is legal or common practice in a country.
3.3.3 Trade Controls
Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to sanctions, export, re-export, import and trade controls. SIFY requires its suppliers to take adequate measures to combat economic crimes, money laundering, fraud and terrorism financing in accordance with the applicable law.
3.3.4 Confidentiality
Suppliers shall safeguard and take appropriate measures to protect the confidential information shared with them for the purpose of carrying out the business. The information shall be used only for the purpose for which it was shared. Suppliers shall not share any confidential information with any third party without the prior consent of Sify. Suppliers are required to sign an NDA in such cases.
3.4 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND FAIR COMPETITION
Suppliers shall protect and not infringe the intellectual property rights of Sify and other third parties Any transfer of technology and knowhow to any third party shall be made with the consent of Sify in a manner that protects intellectual property rights of Sify
Suppliers shall conduct their business in full compliance with anti-trust and fair competition laws and shall be transparent in disclosing information regarding business activities, structure, financial situations and performance in accordance with applicable laws.
3.5 CYBER SECURITY & PRIVACY
Supplier shall take adequate measures to safeguard the security and integrity of their Information systems to protect them from any cyber breach. The systems if compromised may prove to be detrimental to both Sify and its customers hence suppliers are required to have proper processes and procedures in place with respect to information security. In case of any cybersecurity threat or the breach, suppliers are required to report to legal.sify@sifycorp.com as soon as they are aware of such a breach.
Suppliers shall comply with the applicable laws, rules, and regulations applicable in the jurisdiction that they operate. Suppliers shall take adequate measures to protect the privacy of data from unauthorized access and shall collect, use, store and share information only to the extent of fulfilling the contractual obligation. In case of breach of privacy data, suppliers are required to report to legal.sify@sifycorp.com as soon as they are aware of such breach.
3.6 DIVERSITY
Sify is committed to being a diverse and inclusive company and achieving greater diversity in our supply chain. At Sify diversity means, the difference in all its forms, both visible and not visible, and includes differences that relate to gender, age, cultural background, disability, religion, and sexual orientation, as well as differences in background and life experience, and interpersonal and problem-solving skills. In line with this, Sify prefers suppliers who promote diversity in their supply chain, including:
1) Those who publicly commit to Indigenous procurement targets or engage with social enterprises and minority-owned organizations in the delivery of goods and services,
2) Those with strong female gender representation, improve gender equality, actively promote women and, seek to address the overrepresentation of women in departures and gender pay equity gaps and
3) Those that initiate procurement activities aimed at improving the lives of people with a disability or who are disadvantaged.
3.7 EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
The supplier shall develop, maintain and implement policies consistent with this Code of conduct and maintain appropriate management systems and documentation to demonstrate compliance with the Code.
4.0 ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS
Sify shall at any time review or audit a supplier’s compliance with this Code. In such an event the supplier should co-operate by providing information, documents (including but not limited to self-assessments and statements) and access to staff, as Sify reasonably requires.
If a supplier becomes aware of a reasonable risk of a breach of this Code, the supplier shall notify Sify as soon as possible to legal.sify@sifycorp.com. Any identified deficiencies shall be corrected on a timely basis as directed by Sify.
Where Sify has reasonable grounds to suspect a breach of this Code by a supplier, Sify may require the supplier to take additional steps which may include the provision of additional information or, in serious cases, submit to an independent audit at the supplier’s premises at the supplier’s cost. We take this Code of Conduct seriously and any material non-compliance may result in the termination of the supplier’s business relationship with Sify.
5.0 CONTINOUS IMPROVEMENTS
Suppliers are encouraged to go beyond compliance with applicable laws and take responsibility to continually improve social and environmental conditions and ethical behavior.
