MANILA, Philippines – Teleperformance in the Philippines has signed the United Nations LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) Standards for Business, conveying its firm belief in the universal principle of equality and the right to freedom of all human beings.
In its letter of support sent to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner, the company reiterated that as signatory to the UN Global Compact since May 2012, Teleperformance firmly stands behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and believes that the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights applies indiscriminately to the rights of the LGBTI segment.
Teleperformance’s policies and programs are consistent and aligned with the five pillars of the standards, namely: Respect human rights, eliminate discrimination, provide support, prevent other human rights violations, and act in the private sphere.
The company provides clear guidance on these through the different policies that the company adheres to and promulgates. These include: Code of Conduct and Good Behavior, Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, Promotions and Transfer Policy, Diversity and Inclusion, Family Welfare Program Policy, Special Leave Benefit for Women Policy, and Lactation Station Policy. Teleperformance also has a global supplier code of conduct that obliges business partners to respect human rights and also support the Ten Principles of UNGC.
Teleperformance Philippines maintains an active Ethics Committee that directly addresses issues as they crop up, bolstered by these framework of policies. As an organization constantly learning and improving, it continues to strengthen its Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, Whistle-blower Policy, HIV in the Workplace Policy, and even introduced new guidelines such as the Inclusive Restroom Access Policy and the Inclusive HMO Coverage.
What’s more, the Diversity and Inclusion committee organizes forums year-round to encourage in-depth discussions of issues that are important to the LGBTQIA+ community and creates information materials on social media promoting SOGIE awareness and explaining the adverse impact in the workplace of casual homophobia and micro-aggression.
“Diversity and inclusion are issues that are important to our company and our people. In expressing our support to the Standards, we hope to actively contribute in creating a world that is just and respectful of people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Jeffrey Johnson, Senior Vice President of Teleperformance Philippines’ Human Capital Resource Management (HCRM) group.
