Human rights and inclusion policy
The products we design and our business choices affect people. Here are the commitments that guide our work, our relationships and our approach to inclusion.
In this policy
Our commitment
Atipik SA is committed to respecting human rights in all its activities and business relationships.
This commitment is based on three reference texts, which we undertake to respect:
- the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Bill of Human Rights;
- the International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which covers freedom of association and collective bargaining, the elimination of forced labor, the abolition of child labor, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment, and a safe and healthy working environment.
Our exposure to serious human rights abuses is low, and we will not claim otherwise. But a digital agency is not without effect on people: what we design gets used, the data we process belongs to someone, and the tools we use have consequences. That is what this policy is about.
What we have identified
We assessed our human rights issues using the method of the United Nations Guiding Principles, ranking actual or potential adverse impacts on people by severity and then by likelihood. Four issues stand out.
| Issue | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Privacy | The personal data we process, in our operations, in the information submitted to artificial intelligence tools, and in the solutions we deliver. |
| The use of artificial intelligence | The risk that a tool produces inaccurate, biased or discriminatory content, and that it is used without human oversight. |
| Working conditions | The effect of digital tools on workload, on skills, and on the feeling of being monitored. |
| The design of our solutions | The people who use what we design for our clients, including when the solution relies on artificial intelligence. They are not our clients, but they bear the consequences of our design choices. |
Two other topics are monitored without being considered priorities at this stage: the accessibility of our deliverables, and working conditions at our suppliers, over which our visibility remains limited.
What we commit to
Protecting people’s data
We collect only the data that is necessary, we protect it through written technical and organizational measures, and we control what is transmitted to third-party services. No artificial intelligence service is used on confidential or personal data without prior approval, and data entrusted to us by our clients is never used to train a model.
Keeping humans in the loop
Any output from an artificial intelligence tool is checked by a person before it is used or delivered. We do not publish, deliver or decide on the sole basis of an automated output.
No decision concerning a person is made by automated means. This applies in particular to recruitment, appraisal, pay and termination of employment: these decisions are made by people, who are accountable for them.
Protecting those who work here
Workload is monitored collectively and is the subject of a regular survey whose results are shared. Time data is used to identify overload, never to assess individual performance. Our detailed commitments to our employees are set out in our human resources policy.
We apply the same standards to people who work for us without being employees.
Designing responsibly
We design digital solutions used by people we never meet. This is our main lever of influence on human rights, and the least visible one.
- We review every project before accepting it, from the perspective of the people it could affect: processing of sensitive data, vulnerable audiences, accessibility, foreseeable misuse. A project whose impact cannot be reduced to an acceptable level is turned down.
- We design for accessibility. We apply recognized accessibility standards and systematically offer them to our clients, including when they do not ask for them.
- We flag what is beyond our control. When a solution we deliver incorporates artificial intelligence, human review of its outputs then becomes the responsibility of whoever operates it. We document this, explain it to our client, and recommend the corresponding safeguards. What we cannot control, we say so.
- We design for sobriety and durability. A solution that is resource-efficient and built to last reduces its footprint and does not force premature replacement on those who use it.
Inclusion
We want Atipik to be a place where everyone can work and grow without having to justify who they are.
- No decision on recruitment, career development or pay is based on gender, age, origin, nationality, religion, family situation, sexual orientation, health or disability.
- Our job advertisements are written in gender-neutral and inclusive language, and all candidates for the same position are assessed against the same criteria.
- For comparable positions, experience and work percentage, no pay gap is applied between female and male employees. We check this every year.
- We do not tolerate harassment, discrimination or degrading behavior, whatever its form and whoever its perpetrator.
- We review our policies from the perspective of equity and inclusion, looking at the words we use and the actual effects of our rules on different people, and we correct them where necessary.
- We work to make our work tools and our output accessible to people with disabilities.
An action plan sets out the measures adopted, their deadlines and the people accountable for them. It is updated and shared with the team.
Reporting, and what we do about it
| Who | How |
|---|---|
| Our employees | Can turn to their manager, to management, or to an external and independent Trusted Person, who can be contacted without going through the reporting line and with whom exchanges are confidential. |
| Anyone else | Can file a complaint under the procedure published on our website, whether they are a client, a supplier, a user of a solution we designed, or simply a third party. |
| What we do about it | Every report is recorded, handled by a designated person, and receives a response. Complaints received are reviewed once a year by the Management Committee, which draws the appropriate conclusions. |
No such step may be held against the person who takes it. This applies to our employees as well as to anyone outside the company.
Application and updates
This policy applies to Atipik SA, its employees and the people who work for it without being employees. We take it into account when choosing our clients, our projects and our suppliers.
A question or a report?
For any question about how our policies are applied, or to report a breach to us, contact our team.