Simpson Soft UK Limited Sustainability Report
Act Today for a Better Tomorrow – that is the goal of sustainability and it is fast becoming a priority for individuals, organizations, and governments alike. To underline the importance of sustainability from a global perspective, world leaders from all countries in the UN came together in 2015 to develop the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This initiative lists 17 goals for a better world by 2030. Countries around the world are also individually developing sustainable goals and initiatives to bring about a better world for future generations.
The Future Generations Act in Wales effectively summarises the goals to sustainability in its definition of a prosperous Wales. The Act looks to a future where there is "an innovative, productive and low carbon society which recognises the limits of the global environment and therefore uses resources efficiently and proportionately (including acting on climate change); and which develops a skilled and well-educated population in an economy which generates wealth and provides employment opportunities, allowing people to take advantage of the wealth generated through securing decent work."
We at Simpson Soft UK Limited are committed to implementing these sustainable goals in all our operations. We are keenly aware of our impact on the environment, our duty in ensuring the health and well-being of our employees, and our dedication to achieving fair and honest practices in all our dealings. Here are a few ways in which we continuously work towards sustainable development.
Download the Report: Simpson Soft UK Limited Sustainability Report
Climate Change and Wellbeing
We have a number of measures in place to ensure the resilience and health of our planet and resources. Here are some of them:
Paperless Office
According to the World Bank, the world lost 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometres) of forest Between 1990 and 2016. Another report by the EPA shows that paper is the number-one material thrown away, comprising 40% of our waste stream. In an effort to do all that we can to bring down these numbers, Simpson Soft continuously strives towards a paperless office.
In keeping with this goal, we ensure that more than 90% of all our transactions are paperless. This includes electronic transfer of documents, e-invoicing, digital marketing, paperless communication and other measures. We also deal with all our linguists electronically. This has helped us improve efficiency and synchronise business processes by reducing costs and time. All our accounting systems and processes are electronic. We have a regular and robust backup system, with backups stored both on and off site. We use the latest industry standard software for desktop applications and security services. All our Account Managers and translators are proficient and highly experienced with Microsoft Office, PDF Readers, design files and XML files.
While working towards a paperless office, we also ensure that security is by no means compromised. We have a secure file transfer site, for uploads and downloads of large documents, files, etc. We have adequate backup, with industry standard file retrieval systems in place which guarantees that all files are traceable and recoverable at every phase of the project. Backups are made offsite instantaneously to Microsoft OneDrive servers that have in built redundancy and backup/replication solutions. Our company takes adequate measures to ensure the security of confidential documents. All documents are stored on servers in secure locations, using industry standard encryption techniques. Documents are encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS connections established using 2048-bit keys and are also encrypted at rest using AES-256. Before they’re stored, the keys to the encrypted content are themselves encrypted and stored in a physically separate location from the content. Individual documents can also be signed digitally if required by the client.
Flexible Work Choice for Employees
In a further effort to reduce our carbon footprint and to offer healthier choices for our employees, we have flexible work policies, which include work from home options and flexible working hours. Flexible working and home working is also a means to reduce carbon emissions caused by commuting to the office. We ensure that work flexibility doesn’t affect productivity in any way. We have clear-cut guidelines in place when it comes to flexible work arrangements. Employees are aware of the protocol that needs to be followed and are bound by agreements to abide by the formal workplace policies in place.
As a result of these flexible work policies, we endeavour to make our work environment healthy, productive and efficient with great collaborations, improved teamwork and overall job satisfaction, while contributing to the decrease in carbon emissions and other environmental concerns.
Health Workshops
We value the health and wellbeing of our employees and make continuous efforts to ensure that they give attention to their wellbeing. We devote a large portion of the agenda in our Annual Workshops towards this goal. The Simpson Soft Annual Workshop 2019 for instance, had talks and engagement efforts on Maintaining Work Life balance, Stress Management, Cultivating Healthy Habits and more.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 8 of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development is to achieve Decent work and Economic Growth. The goal is “to achieve full and productive employment, and decent work, for all women and men by 2030.”
As a Translation Provider in more than 325 languages, we work with over 3000 linguists globally. By providing flexible and lucrative employment opportunities to skilled translators, interpreters, design specialists, language experts and project managers across the globe, who are united in their goals towards sustainability and innovation, we strive to achieve a prosperous global community.
Equality
Simpson Soft UK Limited is proud to announce its Membership and Declaration of Compliance with the Equality Register, which confirms that we meet the equality elements of PAS91 and Local Authority Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requirements.
This declaration reaffirms that Simpson Soft UK Limited:
· complies with statutory obligations under the Equality Act 2010
· is committed to non-discrimination and advancement of equal opportunities
· fosters good relations in the operation of its business
The Equality Act 2010 Codes of Practice details the different measures that are to be taken in order to protect individuals from unfair treatment and is focused towards promoting a fair and more equal society. In complying with the various elements of the Equality Act 2010, Simpson Soft reiterates its commitment to fair practices and equality in business operations and the workplace.
Community Benefits
We believe that social and moral education is a vital part of achieving a better world. People around the world are recognising that behavioural change is perhaps the single most important catalyst towards sustainability. The Global Goals for Sustainable Development recognises this too, as laid out in SDG Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development.”
The management and staff of Simpson Soft are united in their commitment to live by good moral and social values and help others cultivate it as well. Here are some of the ways in which we individually do this:
· Providing personal training for members of the deaf community. This includes helping with social integration into the community, moral guidance, career opportunities and how to deal with social issues.
Visiting schools and helping children succeed by providing moral guidance. Educate Parents and Children to Protect Against Sexual Predators.
Visit elderly ones in the community providing practical assistance as needed, and helping them cope with issues such as loneliness.
Helping refugees in many cases to integrate into society.
Visiting prisoners and providing education and guidance on overcoming challenges and changing lives.
Helping others conquer prejudice.
Volunteering in disaster relief operations.
Helping children and adults to read and write in countries like India.
Simpson Soft UK Environmental Policy
Simpson Soft UK believes that we have a responsibility to care for and protect the environment in which we operate. We are fully committed to improving environmental performance across all of our business activities and will encourage our business partners and members of the wider community to join us in this effort.
Simpson Soft UK recognises our key impacts to be in the areas of:
energy use
waste generation
paper use
e-resource use
We will strive to:
Adopt the highest environmental standards in all areas of operation, meeting and exceeding all relevant legislative requirements.
Assess our organisational activities and identify areas where we can minimise impacts.
Minimise waste through careful and efficient use of all materials and energy.
Purchase sustainable products wherever feasible [e.g. recycled, FSC or low environmental impact products and energy from renewable sources].
Publicise our environmental position.
Train employees in good environmental practice and encourage employee involvement in environmental action.
Reduce risks from environmental, health, or safety hazards for employees and others in the vicinity of our operations.
Aim to include environmental and ethical considerations in investment decisions where appropriate.
Assist in developing solutions to environmental problems.
Continually assess the environmental impact of all our operations.
Simpson Soft UK has developed a series of action plans to supplement each of our environmental policy objectives. This will include periodical reviews of performance and further policy adjustments as necessary.
Sustainability as a Way of Life
Through all these measures, we hope to do our part towards sustainability. Please feel free to contact us if you need further details on any of these initiatives.
You can also download the the report here: Simpson Soft UK Limited Sustainability Report