Internally, Atos Origin seeks to provide a healthy and safe environment and premises to all its employees. Every location has a health and safety officer and has established appropriated policies and procedures to the environment, which enable to assess, manage and monitor risk situations. The safety of staircases lifts and other hazardous areas must comply with safety laws. Ergonomics surrounding work areas and computer equipment are an important issue, and the Group provides advice to its employees.
Atos Origin also insists that all employees agree to abide by a Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics is intended to remind all Atos Origin employees of the requirement to act honestly, fairly and with integrity in their day-to-day work. The Group also abides by the terms of the Human Rights Act and we are committed to ensuring that all of our employees work in an environment where they are free from discrimination, intimidation or any other form of harassment.
Atos Origin continues to encourage its employees to contribute to support local communities through volunteer work, donations, partnership with humanitarian organizations. Atos Origin also encourages this kind of action through its recruitment policy. For example, in France since April 2006, a partnership has been established with “La Fondation de France”. For each internal referral, in addition to the amount given to the employee who referred the new hire, Atos Origin gives a donation to “La Fondation de France”.
In the Netherlands, Atos Origin continues to support Right to Play by setting up and running a key database. This links our role in providing IT services to the Olympic Games with supporting an internationally recognized non-governmental organization that is committed to improving the lives of children and their communities affected by conflict, poverty and disease by using the best values of sport into opportunities to promote development, health and peace. Right to Play evolved from the Olympic Aid program and was founded by four-time Olympic gold medalist, Johan Olav Koss.
Since July 2005, Atos Origin in Hong Kong has partnered with the Hong Kong Children and Youth Services (HKCYS) to provide voluntary services to the less fortunate children from the Small Group Home, a member of the HKCYS. During the past 2 years, we have organized more than 15 activities with Small Group Home and the children have been seen to gain much more confidence through the activities. As a result of this work the company has been recognized as one of the “Caring Companies” in Hong Kong, a scheme established by the HK Government with the mission to build a caring community spirit through cultivating corporate citizenship and strategic partnership among the business, public and social service sectors.
In Spain we have recently signed a collaboration agreement with the Spanish Coordinator for the European Women's Lobby (CELEM,) to encourage the participation of women in IT. The agreement represents the first time that a technology company and a women's organization are working together to support and encourage the participation of women in IT. Through this agreement, Atos Origin will develop a specific methodology for integrating systems plans, known as ISIS: Methodology for Implementation of Information Systems in Women's Associations. The project is subsidised by Plan Avanza, within the framework of the 2006 announcement of the Ministry of Industry, and will be completed in the first half of 2007.
Other important initiatives include Brazil where Atos Origin has been developing several aid programs, among them actions to assist the occupants of a slum located close to the company, and India where our employees contribute to the Indian Red Cross Society. This has wide and varied experience in disaster relief work ranging from 1934 Bihar earthquake to 1999 super cyclone in Orissa, 2001 Gujarat earthquake, 2004 tsunami in coastal areas of Andaman & Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir earthquake in 2005.