Corporate Conduct & Ethics Policy

The Edge is the world’s leading corporate film Production Company, employing over 70 staff working across the globe for governments, blue chip clients, and charitable foundations, and our reputation for integrity is crucial to the fulfilment of our commercial goals and our corporate responsibilities.

We therefore expect every Edge employee and freelance contractor to conduct themselves according to our high professional and ethical standards. This expectation applies equally to all, whatever their role.

This Statement on Corporate Conduct and Ethics outlines our behaviours and standards of conduct required by The Edge. Minimum standards have been set using UK regulations as a minimum, we appreciate that some of our suppliers have regulations tailored to their own business requirements to meet local laws and regulations in foreign countries.

Every new Edge employee is required to confirm that they have read and understood the code of conduct with relevance to their role.

 

BRIBERY, FRAUD, CORRUPTION & CONSPIRACY

The Edge seeks to eliminate bribery of any kind both in the public and private sectors (including all governments and government intermediaries) wherever we work, especially in countries where such practices are more accepted. We do not offer or accept bribes and demand the same of our business partners, freelancers and suppliers. We do not accept or make facilitation payments.

This includes bribes of any form such as the offer or acceptance of direct or indirect payments, services, excessive gifts, entertainment, travel, hospitality, charitable donations, sponsorships or preferential treatment. We class facilitation payments as small payments made to secure or speed up a service to which the payer has legal or other entitlement.

Within The Edge we require that:

• Employees must not accept any form of direct personal payment
• Employees must not accept other forms of inducement from suppliers
• Employees will not conspire or partake in unethical behaviour including fraud, corruption & conspiracy
• No unorthodox business payment or other forms of inducement should be accepted from any party
• All occasions where a bribe has been offered must be reported immediately
• No payments should be made, either directly or through any third party, that might be interpreted as a bribe

 

COMPANY BOOKS & RECORDS

All records maintained by the Company must be accurate and complete. Transactions between The Edge and outside individuals and organisations must be promptly and accurately entered in our books in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices and principles. No one should rationalise or even consider misrepresenting facts or falsifying records. It will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action.

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The Edge always takes appropriate measures to avoid, manage, and identify conflicts of interest.

A conflict of interest occurs when the interests of one client or potential client may be in competition with those of another client and there is consequently a risk of damage to the interests of one or more of those clients.

Within The Edge we require that:

• The Board of Directors have adequate controls in place to enable conflicts of interest, real or perceived, to be identified and managed. These controls have a level of independence, for example information barriers and separating supervision of employees amongst management.
• Employees are required to declare any actual or potential conflicts of interests.

 

CONFLICT MINERALS

Due to the nature of our business we would never directly trade in minerals or resources so there is currently no known way for conflict minerals to be directly connected with our supply chain. However, we are aware that some companies in our supply chain may use minerals in the production of their goods.

We would expect all our suppliers to abide by government regulations related to the purchase of such goods but as a small business there are limits to the steps we can take to ensure that rules are being abided.

Should a supplier be indicated in the trade or use of conflict minerals then we will take steps to remove them from our supply chain.

 

COMMUNITY & CHARITY

The Edge is a strong believer in community investment and charitable work. Each year we work with a selection of charitable foundations across the globe on a non- profit basis, we also undertake work to promote corporate charities at discounted rates.

Edge Staff are also encouraged to spend time helping in their local communities and we offer additional leave for worthwhile causes.

 

EMPLOYEES

The Edge aims to provide a safe and healthy working environment in which employees are treated fairly and with respect. The aim is for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and we are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all employees on the basis of merit.

Discrimination, bullying or harassment of any kind is not tolerated. We believe that our success depends on effective teamwork.

Within The Edge we:

• Aim to prevent all forms of discrimination based on disability, ethnic origin, gender/sexual orientation, nationality, religion, birth or marital status, age, political or other beliefs
• Respect and value people of all backgrounds
• Act to prevent inappropriate behaviour, including sexual, racial, religious or any other form of harassment, bullying or intimidation
• Do not tolerate retaliation against any employee raising a grievance on grounds of discrimination or harassment
• Ensure every employee has an equal right to fair practices regarding grievance and disciplinary processes
• Recognise employees’ personal and family privacy and the confidentiality of personal information
• Allow employees to take part in their country’s democratic process
• Recruit, develop, promote and remunerate people solely on merit and apply employment practices fairly and equitably to all employees
• Provide all employees with a fair wage
• Ensure safe and healthy working conditions for all employees
• Ensure that no one associated with or / employed by The Edge is subjected to or the victim of slavery, child labour, forced labour, or bonded labour.

 

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

The Edge is committed to addressing our environmental impacts and to seeking opportunities to improve our performance. We take steps to identify, prioritise and manage our environmental risks, both directly through consumption and disposal of resources within our operations and indirectly through those arising through our supply chain.

Within The Edge we require:

• Compliance with all applicable environmental legislation in the countries in which we operate
• Integration of environmental impacts  into business decisions
• Collaboration with relevant key suppliers to deliver gradual improvement in the environmental performance of our supply chain
• The setting of targets on key aspects of our environmental performance and for them to be reviewed periodically

Our Environment & Sustainability Policy contains more detailed information.

 

FAIR COMPETITION

Within The Edge we require that all employees, irrespective of their position, location or seniority:

• Do not become involved in any agreements, arrangements or practices that prevent, restrict or distort competition
• Do not discuss pricing or other competitive information with competitors, fix prices with competitors or enter into any other discussions, agreements or arrangements with competitors that might have an effect on free competition

 

HUMAN RIGHTS

The Edge has a clear responsibility to respect and support human rights across all areas of operation.

Although there is no definitive consensus on the boundaries of corporate responsibility in this, we seek to operate in accordance with UK law as a minimum.

 

IT SYSTEMS

Edge employees are responsible for safeguarding all assets and systems under their control at all times.  Assets can include client information, physical or intellectual property, and business development opportunities. Misappropriation of assets, or misuse of systems such as sending inappropriate emails or accessing offensive web sites, may lead to disciplinary action and in certain cases constitute a criminal offence.

Within The Edge:

• Employees should not copy or distribute material which may infringe licensing agreements or copyright
• Employees should not use Edge systems to access, store, copy or distribute messages or images of a derogatory, defamatory, illegal, pornographic, obscene or offensive nature

 

SUPPLIERS

The Edge has long standing and close relationships with most of our suppliers and we aim to make those relationships as mutually beneficial as possible.

Within The Edge we:

• Select and re-appoint suppliers solely on merit based upon performance and service although we also take into account ethical and environmental issues
• Do not link the selection of a supplier or the award of a contract to the use of our services
• Seek to engage with key suppliers where appropriate to promote improvement in their environmental performance
• Work with our suppliers to ensure that ensure that no one our supply chain is subjected to or the victim of slavery, child labour, forced labour, or bonded labour.

 

USE OF INFORMATION & CONFIDENTIALITY

The Edge treats with strictest confidence all Information about our clients, business contacts and employees and all material is held in the strictest confidence and in compliance with UK legislation.

Within The Edge we require that:

• Employees have an individual and collective responsibility for the security of information
• Information should enable the intended reader to have a proper understanding and must not mislead or omit any facts that could render the content misleading
• Employees who have access to price-sensitive inside information on a regular or occasional basis should comply with our Non-Disclosure rules.