At KPO, we share a set of core values – honesty, integrity and fairness as foundation for our respect for people. By making a commitment to these in our working lives, each of us plays our part in protecting and enhancing KPO’s reputation. Our shared core values underpin all the work we do and are the foundation of our Code of Conduct and the KPO Business Principles. The KPO Business Principles govern how KPO conducts its affairs and outline our responsibilities to shareholders, customers, employees, business partners and society. The Code of Conduct describes the behaviour KPO expects of employees and what employees can expect of KPO.
We are judged by how we act. Our reputation will be upheld if we act in accordance with the law, the KPO Business Principles and our Code. We encourage our business partners to live by the KPO Business Principles or by equivalent principles.
Business Conduct
KPO Business Principles
KPO conducts its business based on KPO Business Principles, which were introduced in 2019 as a separate document, and signed by all members of Board of Directors of KPO. Before 2019, Business Principles were the part of the Code of Conduct.
Our Business Principles govern how we conduct our business and set high standards of performance and ethical behaviour. We also expect all of our stakeholders, including contractors and suppliers, to respect and adhere to these Business Principles.
The full text of the KPO Business Principles and a short video are available on our website in Business Ethics section.
Fig. 7. KPO Business Principles cover seven main categories:
Code of Conduct
The KPO Code of Conduct is a fundamental compliance document, the purpose of which is to protect the activities and reputation of the company and its employees. The Code of Conduct is a system of business ethics and corporate culture general rules at KPO, required of all KPO employees, contractors’ employees and other persons working on behalf of KPO, without distinction or exception.
The Code of Conduct includes provisions on respecting the principles of free enterprise and fair competition, protecting human rights and company assets, providing equal opportunities, zero-tolerance for corruption and legitimization of proceeds of crime (money laundering), any harassment at work, and also regulates some aspects of national and international trade, labour protection, safety and environmental protection, protection and exchange of information, including personal data.
The full text of the KPO Code of Conduct is available on our website in Business Ethics section.
Human Rights
Grounded in the principles proclaimed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the core conventions of the International Labor Organization, we are committed to respecting human rights and complying with applicable laws and regulations in the line of our duty. Moreover, these norms are spelled out in the Constitution of the Republic of Qazaqstan (RoQ), in the Labor Code of the RoQ, in the Code of the RoQ “On the health of the people and the healthcare system”, the Law of the RoQ “On civil protection”, in the Environmental Code of the RoQ and in relevant regulations.
The observance of human rights is a prerequisite of our “license to operate”. Our activities are based on respect for human rights of our stakeholders starting from our employees, contractors, local communities and local authorities. Following these goals, we at KPO regularly engage with our external stakeholders and always strive to contribute, both directly and indirectly, to the general wellbeing of the communities in which we operate.
Human rights issues are an integral part of the Company’s internal regulations describing compliance with requirements in terms of social contribution, safety, human resources. For this reason, human rights requirements are embedded in the Code of Conduct and in KPO existing framework, manuals and policies. These include:
- Social performance – we have social performance plans and address the social impacts of our operations on local communities.
- Security – company-wide security requirements help keep staff, contractors and facilities safe in a way that respects human rights and the security of local communities.
- Human resources – our policies and standards help us establish fair labour practices, ethical labour relations, a positive work environment and conditions.
- Contracting and procurement – we seek to work with contractors and suppliers, who contribute to sustainable development and are economically, environmentally and socially responsible.
As part of the overall KPO Compliance Framework, KPO has adopted and successfully implemented the new Ethics and Compliance Training Programme which addresses major points of the principles and commitments listed above.
KPO has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and child labour is committed to identifying and minimizing so far as possible the risk of child labour, slavery and human trafficking occurring in its supply chains and in all areas of its business. In 2022, there were no cases of child labor and human trafficking in KPO and its contractors.
the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals and objectives.