Supplier Code of Conduct

Zendesk, Inc. including any entity, affiliate or subsidiary owned or controlled by Zendesk, Inc. (“Zendesk” or “We”) believes keeping it simple doesn’t mean compromising our integrity. We expect business partners that we work with, including all vendors, consulting firms, staffing agencies, agency temps, partners and licensees and their representatives (“Suppliers”), to act with the highest ethical standards by: (1) complying with this Supplier Code of Conduct (“Code”), and (2) educating their employees and subcontractors, so they understand and comply with this Code when doing business with or for Zendesk.

Our ethical standards are high and we expect our supplier community to have integrity. We’ve adopted this Supplier Code of Conduct so Suppliers understand Zendesk’s values and expectations in various situations.

As it’s impossible to predict and describe every situation, we expect Suppliers to adopt both the spirit and the letter of the Code. The Code should be viewed as the minimum standards that we expect from our supplier community. It is not intended to reduce, replace, or limit any other legal or contractual obligations that Suppliers have to Zendesk.

What it all boils down to: conduct business with integrity.

Specifically, Suppliers must:

• Be Transparent and Ethical
• Be Smart
• Be Good Employers
• Be Good Global Citizens

BE TRANSPARENT AND ETHICAL

• Suppliers should avoid giving the appearance of or engaging in actual conflicts of interests. Do not deal directly with any Zendesk employee whose spouse, domestic partner, or other family member or relative is employed by or holds a significant financial interest in the Supplier (other than publicly traded securities). Disclose any such relationship or other actual or potential conflict of interest to your Zendesk business contact for review as soon as the conflict becomes known.
• Zendesk is committed to conducting its business in compliance with all laws prohibiting bribery and other corrupt practices.  Zendesk requires Suppliers to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act, equivalent laws of Supplier’s jurisdiction, and all applicable anti-corruption regulations and international anti-corruption conventions.

BE SMART

• Suppliers should use and manage Zendesk assets responsibly. Suppliers should also protect and responsibly use both the physical and non-physical assets of Zendesk including property, supplies, consumables, equipment, information and other intellectual property when authorized by Zendesk to use such assets. This includes:
  • Using Zendesk information technology and systems (including e-mail) only for authorized Zendesk business purposes.
  • Complying with Zendesk requirements regarding password protection, confidentiality, and security.
  • Respecting the intellectual property rights of Zendesk and others, including but not limited to patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.
  • Respecting authorization limits. Suppliers must understand what they are and are not authorized to do on behalf of Zendesk. Do not speak to the media about Zendesk or on Zendesk’s behalf unless expressly authorized in writing to do so by an authorized Zendesk employee.
  • Do not engage in insider trading. Do not buy or sell the stock of Zendesk or another company when in possession of information about Zendesk or another company that is not available to the investing public and that could influence an investor’s decision to buy or sell stock.
  • Respect end-user privacy. Maintain privacy and security policies that meet or exceed all applicable legal and regulatory requirements and that comply with Zendesk’s privacy and confidentiality practices, including Zendesk’s privacy policy available at www.zendesk.com.

BE GOOD EMPLOYERS

• Zendesk expects Suppliers to share our commitment to human rights and equality in the workplace.  We expect Suppliers to conduct their employment practices in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. All Suppliers must:
  • Conduct their activities in conformance with Zendesk’s commitment to a workplace free of harassment, unlawful discrimination and retaliation;
  • Comply with applicable safety and health laws, regulations and practices;
  • Provide fair compensation and follow applicable wage and hour laws and regulations, including those related to minimum wage, overtime pay, and maximum working hours; 
  • Respect individual rights to freely associate and collectively bargain in accordance with applicable laws and regulations;  
  • Prohibit the use, possession, distribution, or sale of illegal drugs while on Zendesk owned or leased property;
  • Prohibit carrying or transporting handguns, firearms or other legally controlled or prohibited weapons of any kind that are not required for job performance on Zendesk leased or owned property; and
  • Prohibit and take affirmative action to prevent acts of modern slavery, child labor and human trafficking from occurring in their own operations and within their own supply chain.

BE GOOD GLOBAL CITIZENS

• SOCIAL IMPACT

At Zendesk we are driven by a simple intention: be helpful.  Our products make it simple for companies to be helpful to their customers. Social Impact at Zendesk has a similar goal — to make sure our company is helpful to individuals, to communities, and to the planet. By harnessing our people, products, and resources, we commit to being a force for good in the places where we live and work.

Suppliers are encouraged to actively engage the communities in which they do business to promote sustainable social practices and development. Suppliers should assess the potential impact of their activities on the local community and take steps to mitigate and avoid any negative impact. 

• SUSTAINABILITY

As a global company with offices in more than 10 countries, we're dedicated to supporting country-level climate goals. We believe that environmental sustainability is critical to succeed as a business and a community. Zendesk expects Suppliers to share in this commitment by acknowledging our Zendesk Environmental Policy and responding to challenges posed by climate change and working toward protecting the environment. 

Our Suppliers should strive to conduct their operations in ways that are environmentally responsible and in compliance with all environmental laws, regulations, and standards. Whenever possible, Suppliers are encouraged to annually measure and share their greenhouse gas emissions publicly, demonstrate programs that reduce energy, waste, and water usage in their operations, and set Science-Based Targets in alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement.

• SUPPLIER CULTURE & BELONGING

At Zendesk, we strive to integrate culture and belonging into our business globally, including with our supplier partners.  We are committed to engaging with small businesses and driving meaningful culture initiatives across our supply base.  We believe that this commitment to culture, belonging, and equality will create an advantage for our customers and stay true to one of Zendesk’s core values - improving the communities where we live and work.

As such, we encourage our Suppliers to: 

• Demonstrate a commitment to identify, measure, and improve a culture of equality and belonging through all aspects of workplace and supplier management. 
• Include small suppliers in subcontracting activities where possible. 
• Proactively engage with their local communities to positively contribute to economic growth and opportunities for positive impact.

The Fine Print

This Code does not confer any rights to any third parties. In addition, no employees of any Supplier will have any rights against Zendesk by virtue of this Code, nor will such employees have any rights to cause Zendesk to enforce any provisions of this Code. We encourage open discussion. If you have questions or concerns about this Code or your business relationship with us, please raise them with your primary Zendesk contact. In addition, Suppliers are strongly encouraged to raise any concerns or report suspected misconduct to Zendesk through the methods available at www.zendesk.com/ethics. This may be done anonymously. Please only use www.zendesk.com/ethics to report ethical and compliance violations such as accounting/audit related complaints or concerns, accounting matters or controls, code of ethics violations, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, corruption or bribery, or security or exchange violations. Any issues regarding payment, billing, etc. should be resolved by contacting your Zendesk contact directly. Zendesk will not tolerate retaliation taken against any individual who has in good faith raised questions, sought advice or reported misconduct, questionable behavior, or a possible violation of law or policy.  In order to ensure compliance with this Code, Zendesk will ask confirming questions regarding the Suppliers it onboards.  Additionally, Zendesk may elect to conduct annual audits of certain of its Suppliers that Zendesk believes have a major impact on its operations to confirm their compliance with this Code. 

 

Contact Us/Report Violations

Need Help?  Questions for Zendesk Procurement can be sent to: [e-mail].  If you believe that a Supplier or an employee of a Supplier is not meeting the standards of this Code, please use www.zendesk.com/ethics to report ethical and compliance violations.

Please use www.zendesk.com/ethics to report ethical and compliance violations.