Dear Colleagues, Over the past years Symphony has developed a certain culture and lifestyle inspired by the aim to create an environment in which a pleasant, healthy and relaxed lifestyle will produce excellence in every sense. We are pleased and happy to know that our clients connect our name with quality, integrity, professionalism, development and the other values that we are trying to build and enhance. This reputation has been well earned through our work, dedication and quality. To maintain our personality and lifestyle, and ensure that our core values and principles are imprinted in everything we do we must adhere to the highest standards of conduct in our daily work and behavior within our team and toward our work and clients. The Symphony Code of Conduct sets forth the style, principles and standards of conduct that will continue to guide us into the future. Please read this Code of Conduct carefully and familiarize yourself with its provisions. It is intended as a guide for all of us, describing how to be successful and live the values of Symphony. Making the right choice is not something that can always be defined by a Code of Conduct and so not every situation you may face will be addressed in this written document. Therefore, you should seek specific guidance whenever there is a situation that is not clearly covered by this code. This Code of Conduct applies to all Symphony employees. The values that we cherish, our health, the quality of our work, our reputation and the professional relationships that we have build, are our most valuable assets and so we must all strive to preserve and enhance them. Each one of us is responsible for maintaining the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, trustworthiness and our other core values. Yours sincerely, Haris Memic
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
2 3 4 5
Why Code of Conduct for Symphony? THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE EMPLOYEES Work tasks Working time Daily working hours Vacation and days off Working environment The culture of conduct Business ethics and appearance EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Mutual respect Team work and cooperation Awareness of the working environment, people and the open space Internal communication Ideas and initiatives WORK ATTITUDE Moral and ethical integrity Responsibility ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE COMPANY Conflict of interest Confidentiality agreement Property of Symphony Symphony ambassadors Integrity and trust CLIENT RELATIONS Responsibilities and reporting the violation of the Code of Conduct
1 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 12 13 13 14 15 15 15 16 16 17 19 20
WHY HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SYMPHONY? The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to provide guidance and set common ethical standards that all Symphony employees should adhere to on a consistent basis. It governs the working relationship between colleagues, our attitude toward work and the company, our clients and our responsibilities and standards. This Code of Conduct promotes the core values that we strive to build and strengthen at Symphony. It provides guidelines and a framework of conduct for all Symphony employees, covering all aspects of our functional organization. • The rights and obligations of employees • Employee relations • Attitude to work • Attitude towards the company • Client relations This Code of Conduct cannot describe every situation that may occur and therefore we should apply the principles it sets forth when dealing with business situations not covered by the code. We need to use good judgment and common sense. If unsure of how to proceed, we should seek the advice of the human resources manager, team leader or project manager. If in doubt, we need to ask ourselves certain questions before we take action: • Is this action in line with the principles and guidelines of the Code? • Is this action the right thing to do? • Does this action contribute towards cooperation and quality relationships within the team? • Does this procedure reflect respect for other people?
1
SYMPHONY LIFESTYLE Before we address all of the topics contained in this Code of Conduct it is important to remember that everything good, including our work, starts with our physical and mental health. Symphony provides its employees with an opportunity and the environment in which to take care of our health and ensure a high standard and quality lifestyle. Mens sana in corpore sano is not just a phrase to us. We at Symphony see this as a guide to our success in every sense. This is why we owe it to ourselves to take advantage of all of the benefits provided to us. Symphony continuously looks for opportunities to increase the quality of life of its people.
2
1
THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE EMPLOYEES
WORK TASKS Our work tasks are our priority. We are responsible, oriented to precision and detail and always strive to deliver high quality products at all levels. We will always do our best to complete our tasks in line with our function and achieve expectations and targets. We are conscientious and responsible and if for some reason we are prevented from completing a task as expected and agreed then we inform the relevant person on time and accurately. Quality above quantity is our guide! We will always think about possible ways to improve the final outcome of our work. Here at Symphony our final target is not to deliver to the client a solution that just works. Functionality is a must for all of our products and our work yet we aim to deliver more. We will deliver high quality output, with the minimum of mistakes, bugs and errors. This is why, as a developer, we try to see things through the perspective of the client and also the end user. We try to envisage all of the difficulties they could encounter and then prevent them from happening.
WORKING TIME
7,5H
DAILY WORKING HOURS
1H
There are no strictly defined working hours at Symphony. Neither do we have evidence of working hours or entrance cards. Instead, we comply with fair use policy. This means that we rely on the responsibility, commitment and dedication of our people. We spend 8.5 hours a day at our office, which includes a one-hour lunch break that can be taken within the office or outside. We do not have a strictly defined time when to start work in the morning, but we will always align with our team. If we do not have any client related specifics (late calls, overtime, etc.) then 10 a.m. should be the latest time to start work.
3
VACATION AND DAYS OFF Yearly vacation days are regulated by the state law and internal Symphony regulations. We plan our vacations and days off in line with our business activities so that we never compromise our team or our clients’ expectations. When we plan our days off, we brief our team clearly on the current status of our activities and tasks and instruct them if there is anything particular that they need to do during our absence. We always obtain approval for the usage of our vacation and days off from our team leader/project managers. We always agree on availability during our days off and leave our contact details in case of emergencies. WORKING ENVIRONMENT We maintain our environment as neat and clean. We do have a lot of gadgets, cables and other stuff that we need on our tables but we keep everything clean and prevent the workspace from becoming messy. We keep our personal belongings, especially training equipment, in our lockers. We pay special attention to maintaining all of the premises as sanitary and neat (the kitchen and the living room, rest rooms, terrace area and gym) in order to prevent any unwelcome consequences of a lack of maintenance and cleanliness in the environment where we spend our free time. We clean the table and the bar where we eat and take care when we store food in the fridge. All groceries, dishes and kitchen supplies should be put back in place on the shelves after use. Everyone can enjoy this common space.
4
Rest rooms should be kept clean and sanitary. They are maintained regularly but it is necessary to pay attention in order to keep everything clean and sanitized on a daily basis. The terrace area is maintained regularly (flowers and trash cans) yet it is necessary that we all pay attention and leave the movables in their place, keep ashtrays clean, clean the barbecue after usage and keep the area neat so that everyone can enjoy this common space. It is ideal if we all utilize the benefits of our gym but it is very important to keep it clean and dry.
THE CULTURE OF CONDUCT We have a specific culture at Symphony. We are all different with different backgrounds, habits and personalities but we are proud that our environment is flexible, tolerant of all differences and a comfortable place for us all. In short, our aim in every sense is to impress the world through our work, behavior, ideas, professionalism, spirit and culture. We always aim to give the best and to be the best version of ourselves. When it comes to the culture of conduct, our core value at Symphony is professionalism. This is the specificity of Symphony: we manage to maintain an environment where we are all relaxed, flexible and tolerant but adhere to the highest principles of professionalism. This is why we are cool. We are differentiators who positively influence and impress our whole environment and everyone we come into contact with. We are friendly, open, objective, responsible, accountable, transparent and respectful in our daily work and communication. We know where to draw the line between a good joke and an ambiguous unpleasant and inappropriate statement. We are not offensive or intrusive and we do not stand out through striking or insensitive behavior and we are never impolite or arrogant.
5
Our communication reflects professionalism in every sense. We are polite and respectful to others when having conversations. We try to reflect the image of intellectuals and the successful academic citizens of our environment. Our written communication is in English language. We also try to have conversations in English in order to improve our professionalism toward our clients.
BUSINESS ETHICS AND APPEARANCE There are no strict rules on behavior and appearance at Symphony, but we do expect our people to know where to set the boundaries in terms of behavior and appearance led by the principles of ethics and professionalism. This means that we will always set boundaries for our behavior at work. We can be open, friendly and informal but never let our personal preferences for someone (positive or negative) influence our behavior or create an unpleasant environment for our colleagues. We do not have a dress code or specific rules because it is more valuable for us to be fit and healthy than all dress the same. We are a relaxed fit company, but we will always have in mind the boundaries and the impression we create through our appearance. We want to be perceived as intellectuals, out of the box thinkers, professionals, innovative and creative. We do not want to be seen as unprofessional and lacking a sense for professional appearance. We need to pay special attention to our appearance when in contact with our clients or in any other capacity when representing Symphony.
6
2
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
MUTUAL RESPECT At our community, we have great respect for all of our colleagues and our personal differences and values. We are all here because of our qualities and it is important to keep in mind that every one of us has broad knowledge, respected experience and contributes to the overall success of Symphony. This is why it is extremely valuable to share our experiences, ask for feedback and opinion and to listen and respect the advices of our colleagues. We promote an atmosphere of tolerance and trust, both within the company and toward our customers and society in general. Each of us is expected to respect the private lives of our colleagues and discrimination, abuse and violence are strictly prohibited. We accept our differences in a tolerant way. Symphony respects the individuality and dignity of every employee. All employees have equal opportunity. Our position in Symphony is influenced solely by our contribution to the company and our success.
RESPECT
ATMOSPHERE 7
TEAM WORK AND COOPERATION The organizational culture at Symphony values collaboration, the sharing of ideas and working together. In an environment that encourages teamwork, we understand and believe that the thinking behind and planning of decisions and actions are better when done as a group rather than as individuals. We recognize the concept that a team working together is more effective and valuable than just one individual. Having in mind the above, we are aware that the contribution of every one of us is essential for the functioning of our team. At Symphony effective teamwork includes seeking relevant information, listening and responding thoughtfully to others, being open to new ideas, giving reasons for views held and acknowledging mistakes and misunderstandings. By working as a team, we honor the rights of our colleagues to privacy, free speech, due process and participatory rights such as informed consent. We avoid shifting blame and strongly oppose disrespect and circumventing autonomy through manipulation or deception. Teamwork is a great opportunity for learning and development and therefore it is one of the core values of Symphony. Working in teams consistently focuses our attention on expanding the scope and depth of our general and situation-specific knowledge. This is why we actively seek and accept constructive feedback from our team members and also share our opinion and recommendations with them. Teamwork is one of the most important aspects of working at Symphony and we all try to improve it on a daily basis.
You will find additional recommendations for effective team work under section Internal communication
8
AWARENESS OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT, PEOPLE AND THE OPEN SPACE Symphony has a flexible working environment in which we recognize and respect people’s needs and try to fulfill the important aspects of the welfare of our employees. Given that it is very important to have in mind that all of us are different and that we do not have the same working habits, we should pay special attention to our behavior within the open space. In order to avoid intruding on our colleagues it is very important to avoid personal discussions, calls and conversations within the open space. It is possible to use one of the meeting rooms, living room, or the terrace for this. The working part of our environment is the silent zone and we will not disturb it. Some of us enjoy listening to music while we work and so we work with our headphones on.
We always respect the time of other’s when organizing meetings and use tools to adequately plan them (Google calendar, invitations, etc). We use agendas whenever suitable and respect planned timeframes and agreements. Yet sometimes we will have exceptional situations where we cannot adequately plan the resources or invite colleagues properly. These are situations where all of us try to be as flexible as we can to ensure productivity.
9
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION The way we communicate and relate to each other is one of the most important factors of the Symphony culture. Yet communication is closely linked to our personality, temperament, experience and knowledge and because of this sometimes it is not easy to decide what is best to say and when to say it: is it appropriate for the situation and participants, is it ethical, etc. The integrity of ethical communication is fostered by truthfulness, accuracy and honesty. Ethical communication at Symphony means a number of things: • being truthful and upfront at all times; • striving to understand and respect others before evaluating and responding to their message; • supporting others by sharing information, opinions and feelings whilst also respecting privacy and confidentiality; • promoting communication that consists of caring and mutual understanding that respects the unique needs and characteristics of others; • endorsing freedom of expression, diversity of perspective and the tolerance of dissent; • accepting responsibility for the short and long-term consequences of our own communication and expecting the same from others; and • not tolerating communication such as disrespect, belittlement, intolerance, raised voices or gossip that degrades others in any way.
10
As our internal communication and the way we treat others are very important factors of the Symphony culture, below we have listed some concrete and effective forms of behavior that we expect every Symphony team member to practice. • We will treat others with respect despite our differing views and positions. • We will be direct, open, respectful and honest when addressing potential problems and issues. • In order to prevent business risks that we can influence we will be clear when communicating real or potential business problems, risks or issues that may arise. • We will relate to other in an open, friendly and accepting manner. • We will proactively acknowledge and embrace our differences in order to enhance cooperation and collaboration within our teams. • We will accept constructive feedback openly and without becoming defensive and we will seek and acknowledge our own failures and mistakes. • We will always strive to share feedback when we see the potential for improvement, regardless of our position or the topic of the issue at hand. • We will be accurate when responding to emails and invitations to meetings. We will respond to urgent emails as soon as possible and to all other emails by the end of the working day at the latest. • We will respond to all invitations to meetings and events as soon as we have sufficient information to confirm or decline the invitation. • We will use agendas and document the conclusions of important meetings. • We will not comment on or discuss the performance, business activities or behavior of a colleague with other colleagues. • If we have problem with one of our colleagues then the right way to address this problem is to first discuss the issue with the colleague in question, without sharing such information with other people. • It is important to practice the above-mentioned principles of ethical communication when resolving potential conflicts and during our everyday interaction. • We will not comment on candidates participating in the selection process for Symphony nor on their selection performance (if we gain insight to it) in informal situations. • If we have an operative business problem, suggestion or thought then we will share/ discuss it with the relevant person or persons such as the team leader, project manager, HR manager or CEO. We will avoid sensitive discussions or discussions that may 11
cause misunderstanding because of a lack of an objective point of view or incomplete information with other colleagues. • We will strive to improve our communication skills and the efficiency of our communication on a daily basis.
IDEAS AND INITIATIVES At Symphony, we value and appreciate good ideas that will bring benefit to us all. We will always aim to be innovative and enthusiastic and to promote and implement such ideas in order to create a more interesting environment and to learn, develop and have fun. Our Friday happy hour enriches our relationships. Our Thursday Symphony Flow sessions are really useful and enhance our skills; club of volunteers adds a great cultural dimension to our community. We are all expected to contribute as much as we can to our events and ideas, because excellence is our culture and this is the path that leads to success. We always feel free to propose mutual activities, and ideas at Symphony and are happy to contribute to their implementation.
12
3
WORK ATTITUDE
MORAL AND ETHICAL INTEGRITY The moral and ethical integrity of our employees is very important at Symphony, especially considering the fact that Symphony relies more on the quality of its employees and less on procedures and governance. This means that we need to maintain a culture where we do not need to regulate desirable behavior and principles of work in written form. We expect our employees to embrace a culture of moral and ethical integrity. We are all committed to value, respect and promote behavior that is in line with the values of Symphony. We should not become involved or connected in any way with activities or situations that could lead to possible abuse or deception of our customers or the public. All resources that Symphony provides for its employees should be used efficiently and in accordance with the standards of Symphony for legitimate and legal purposes. Employees authorized for contracting clients are obliged to take into account the ethics of contracts and the method of their implementation. All Symphony employees involved in the implementation of contracted projects shall comply with the provisions defined in the specific agreement with the client.
13
RESPONSIBILITY The success and results of Symphony depend directly on its people. This means that all of our colleagues need to maintain a high level of responsibility when it comes to their work. This is the work attitude of a valuable Symphony employee: • I am responsible for maintaining high standards for everything related to me as a part of Symphony, including my health, quality of life and environment. • I am responsible for my work and I will do my best to deliver the highest quality result to the client. • I consistently accept, act and work in line with Symphony work practices and recommendations. • My work is in line with the principles and best practice of the profession. • The client, my colleagues and team members hold me accountable for my work and commitments. • I will deliver my tasks within the expected timeframe, in line with the plans and work dynamics of my team. • I will focus on finding a solution when a mistake is made rather than try to cover up problems or assign blame. • I will follow through on the commitments I make to others and will be a trusted resource for the projects I work on. • I will complete my tasks and commitments, regardless of potential loss of concentration or motivation. • I will help my environment and my colleagues to become better and increase the standard of excellence. 14
4
ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE COMPANY
CONFLICT OF INTEREST Everything we do as part of our business tasks is focused on the interests of Symphony. We will avoid situations that can cause a conflict between our personal or financial interests and the interests of Symphony. We will avoid situations that could create the impression that our business decisions or actions are influenced by personal interest. However, it is not always possible to prevent such conflicts of interest. In such situations, we will promptly inform the relevant person (CEO, CTO, Country Director or HR Manager) about any aspect that could lead to a potential conflict of interest.
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT All of us have the obligation to protect all operating and business secrets and data. This information must be protected and can only be shared with persons within the company when it is necessary for their professional task. This also applies to information from Symphony clients, especially if we have a separate confidentiality agreement. Below are the main principles of the confidentiality agreement that act as our guide: • We always need to have confidentiality in mind during direct personal or telephone conversations with our colleagues in public. • We do not allow third parties to see our business documents. • We keep all passwords and credentials related to Symphony and our client systems strictly to ourselves. • We always keep information on our salaries and terms of work confidential. • We keep information on the projects and the documentation we are working on strictly confidential. • We never, under any condition, falsify a Symphony document. The secrecy clause also exists without restriction after the end of our employment with Symphony. 15
PROPERTY OF SYMPHONY We act appropriately and cautiously with the property of Symphony. We do not use company assets for personal purposes or for activities that are not sanctioned by the company. We do not use company assets for personal purposes unless this is allowed through an appropriate regulation or approved by the relevant instance. Intellectual property is a valuable asset that needs to be protected from unauthorized use. This includes copyright, trademark and patent rights.
SYMPHONY AMBASSADORS The reputation of Symphony is built on the quality of our work and promotion of our core values. We want to be perceived as pioneers creating new cutting edge solutions worldwide. Our aim is to be recognized globally for our products, innovations and high tech solutions. The ambassadors and messengers of our good reputation will be our products and our employees. This is why we will always strive to promote our reputation and the quality of our work. Remember we want to impress the world with everything we do.
16
The responsibilities of Symphony Ambassadors are to: • spread the news, build awareness of Symphony and promote our organizational culture and values; • present an image of high quality, responsibility and integrity through our work; • increase our networking activities and relationships in the communities where we operate (connect with colleagues, universities and clients); • be active on social networks, contributing and sharing content from Symphony profiles and the website; and • promote our own credibility through presentation of Symphony. When promoting Symphony in public, we must always have in mind that we want to promote excellence. This is why we pay special attention to the quality of the content we are sharing. We prefer English language and content that is understandable to the public, but also professional enough for the clients that following us. We should also pay attention to the content we share through our private social network profiles, which are not related to the company. Sensitive attitudes, values and views should be presented as personal and not related to Symphony. Under no circumstances will we present Symphony in a negative context. If we have a problem or sensitive issue then we will discuss it internally with our team leader, HR manager and or colleagues. INTEGRITY AND TRUST Integrity is one of the fundamental values that we require at Symphony. It is our hallmark. We try to demonstrate sound moral and ethical principles in every situation we encounter. Honesty and trust are central to integrity. Acting with honor and truthfulness are basic requirements for all of us at Symphony. We are principled and can be counted on to behave in an honorable manner in every situation and with everyone: our colleagues, clients and visitors as well as everyone we influence.
17
ambassadors
18
5
CLIENT RELATIONS
The requirements of our clients are the priority for Symphony. We will always fulfill our commitments toward our clients and also strive to add some value to this relationship. We are a partner our clients can rely on and trust. In short, being focused on our deliverables is the best thing we can do to maintain and build our client relationship. We always respect deadlines, agreements and promises and this is how we build our credibility and enhance relationships. Again, communication is essential. A lack of communication is usually the cause of most problems that can occur with a client. Any good client relationship can overcome a setback if we are proactive in communicating both good and bad news. Trust forms when our communication is direct and transparent and this helps to create a foundation for a long lasting relationship. When it comes to clients, last but not least important is the fact that we always protect confidential information related to our clients including all relevant credentials, documentation and information on their projects and systems. If a client is satisfied with us then Symphony has a good perspective and bright future. This is why we pay special attention to our relationship with a client and work to improve their satisfaction and our success. Clients hire us to help them solve problems and sometimes our activities allow us to see things that can be helpful to a client. We should weigh these opportunities and help the client to solve the problem and improve their product. We always need to have in mind that we know our job better than the client who hired us, because this is our area. Although it may not seem that the initiative should come from our side, the reality of the business environment often requires a different approach. This is why we act proactively and offer our clients the most effective technological solutions.
19
When working with our clients we are proactive, productive and effective, available to answer questions and offer comment, feedback and discussion. We will never let a client wait for our response or experience problems related to the functionality of a system that we work on.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPORTING A VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT This Code of Conduct applies to all Symphony employees. The behavior that constitutes this document provides the basis for the realization of the goals, vision and mission of Symphony. Symphony relies on its people to act responsibly and with integrity and therefore when our values and expectations are not fulfilled technical skills and other competences become less important. It is the duty of us all to promote behavior that is consistent with this Code of Conduct and to warn our colleagues if their behavior becomes inconsistent with it and if necessary to report potential code violations. Code violation should be reported to the team leader, project manager or HR manager. There are three interventions for a violation of the Code of Conduct: 1. Disciplinary interview 2. A warning prior to termination of employee contract 3. Termination of employee contract The decision on the intervention to be taken will be proposed by the relevant responsible person (team leader, project manager or HR manager). The final decision will be made by the CEO/Country Director. 20
21