Communication on Progress

Communication on Progress

Participant
Published
  • 10-Jan-2022
Time period
  • January 2021  –  January 2022
Format
  • Stand alone document – Basic COP Template
Differentiation Level
  • This COP qualifies for the Global Compact Active level
Self-assessment
  • Includes a CEO statement of continued support for the UN Global Compact and its ten principles
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Human Rights
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Labour
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Environment
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Anti-Corruption
  • Includes a measurement of outcomes
 
  • Statement of continued support by the Chief Executive Officer

  • Statement of the company's chief executive (CEO or equivalent) expressing continued support for the Global Compact and renewing the company's ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles.

  • January 10, 2022

    To our stakeholders:

    I am pleased to confirm that Vera Solutions reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption.

    In this, our first annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to further integrate the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture, and daily operations. We also commit to sharing this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

    Sincerely,

    Zak Kaufman, CEO

Human Rights
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of human rights for the company (i.e. human rights risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on Human Rights.

  • - Vera Solutions supports and respects the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights

    - Vera Solutions is not complicit in human rights abuses

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions to implement Human Rights policies, address Human Rights risks and respond to Human Rights violations.

  • - Provided over 44,000 hours of discounted technology services to 99 clients working in all aspects of the social sector, including poverty alleviation, global health, gender equality, youth development, civil rights, and environmental sustainability.

    - In support of employee health and well-being:
    - Centered employee safety and security during the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing our work-from-home policy through the end of 2021 and improving our benefits package
    - Supported flexible work policies, allowing staff to shift schedules to accommodate doctor’s appointments or caregiving responsibilities
    - Continued our policy of not capping sick leave, allowing sick staff to recover from illness
    - Provided paid time off for COVID-19 vaccination
    - Implemented guidance for in-person work and work-sponsored events, including testing guidance and other risk mitigation measures

    - Enhanced training about prevention of sexual harrassment in the workplace in some regions in which we operate - planning on extending that to all regions in which we operate in 2022

    - Updated internal handbook policies to include gender-neutral language

    - Acted on Pledge 1% commitment, donating 1% of our global net profit towards charitable organizations working towards racial justice and civil rights, poverty alleviation, and strengthening food systems

    - Actively in development: additional internal policies supporting Human Rights to bolster our existing Code of Conduct

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • - Increased employer coverage of health insurance premiums to 100% for staff, as well as staff’s spouses and dependants, to support better health during the pandemic

    - Donated 1% of our global net profit towards charitable organizations working in racial justice and civil rights, poverty alleviation, and strengthening food systems

Labour
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of labour rights for the company (i.e. labour rights-related risks and opportunities). Description of written policies, public commitments and company goals on labour rights.

  • - Vera Solutions supports the elimination of forced labour, child labour and employment discrimination

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions taken by the company to implement labour policies, address labour risks and respond to labour violations.

  • - Ensured that Vera Solutions supports UN Global Compact regulations, including by ensuring we do not participate in forced, bonded, or child labor

    - Further developed more objective performance evaluation criteria for staff across departments, and employed that criteria during the most recent performance review and promotion processes

    - Increased the number of women in senior leadership roles

    - Committed to driving diversity in our organization, including by hiring new professionals in the Salesforce ecosystem

    - Reduced requirements for staff to participate in sabbatical - partially-paid extended leave to develop passion projects

    - Continue to hire a diverse team: new hires this year represented 6 nationalities

    - Actively in development: Updated objective hiring criteria for our open roles

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • - Developed over 12 competency frameworks, models for assessing staff skills and performance to ensure fair compensation based on performance (not age, gender, nationality, etc), which were used in the Dec 2021 performance review process

    - Zero (0%) staff laid off/made redundant due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to strategic decisions made to prioritize stability for staff

    - Years of tenure required for staff to avail of a paid sabbatical reduced to 3 years from 4 years, ensuring staff can recharge and pursue passion projects after 3 years of employment

    - Forty-five percent (45%) of our Board of Advisors are women

    - Thirty-nine percent (39%) of our current Partnership are women (up from 30% last year)

    - Some responses from the most recent iteration of our quarterly staff engagement/satisfaction survey (10 indicates “strongly agree”; 0 indicates “strongly disagree”, 72% response rate):
    - “Vera's mission/purpose makes me feel that my work is important”: average response = 8.71/10
    - “My manager/director/someone at work cares about my wellbeing”: average response = 8.52/10
    - “I feel supported in my growth/development by my manager or another senior person on my team”: average response = 7.79/10

Environment
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of environmental protection for the company (i.e. environmental risks and opportunities). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on environmental protection.

  • - Vera Solutions supports a precautionary approach to environmental challenges

    - Vera Solutions undertakes initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility

    - Vera Solutions encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions to implement environmental policies, address environmental risks and respond to environmental incidents.

  • - Launched an internal environmental committee, the Green Team, to coordinate internal initiatives and ensure they are aligned with other related commitments, like our B Corp recertification process

    - Further developed remote meeting skills and capacity, resulting in minimal carbon footprint for business meetings

    - Planned company-wide electronic waste collection days for next year

    - Established a new carbon removal partnership, going beyond our years-long commitment to offset estimated calculable carbon emissions that result from to Vera’s business practices, in support of carbon capture and removal

    - Engaged in staff education activities, including e-waste disposal and other environmental activities

    - Coordinated staff engagement activities, including to encourage upcycling, recycling, and reduction of meat consumption

    - Actively in development: Systems for better reporting on Vera’s environmental impact in 2022 and beyond

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates environmental performance.

  • - Vera Solutions sponsored 250 tonnes of carbon removals and offsets

    - 40+ weekly internal communications about environmental topics

Anti-Corruption
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of anti-corruption for the company (i.e. anti-corruption risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on anti-corruption.

  • - Vera Solutions works against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions to implement anti-corruption policies, address anti-corruption risks and respond to incidents.

  • - Continued to assess the risk of corruption when doing business

    - Evaluated conflict of interest concerns, including with new and departing employees

    - Ensured that internal procedures support the company’s anti-corruption environment (e.g. further establishing controls by which multiple people review payroll and other financial procedures; further investment in specialized labor with compliance and other critical skills)

    - Actively in development: additional anti-corruption policies to bolster our current Code of Conduct

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates anti-corruption performance.

  • - Vera Solutions has not been involved in any legal cases, rulings, or other events related to anti-corruption and bribery

    - Eighteen percent (18%) of new hires last year accounted for hires made in our Finance & Accounting Department, strengthening skills and experience in finance, business intelligence, compliance, and cash management