Our commitment to corporate responsibility is about doing the right thing; behaving in a responsible, ethical and trustworthy manner, acknowledging our impact on society and the environment, and accountability to our stakeholders.
All our senior staff are expected to be a member of a professional institution and less senior staff are encouraged to become a member of a professional organisation. Membership of a professional organisation typically means agreeing to comply with a code of ethics that provides clients, co-workers and stakeholders with confidence that our work is undertaken to a relevant professional standard and we understand the impacts our decisions have on the wider community.
Our commitment to our clients is to provide the best quality advice and we support our staff in continuing professional development and mentoring so they can achieve their personal goals faster.
We also understand that 'giving back' to our communities is two fold. One, we often undertake pro bono commissions where we consider a case particularly deserves our specialist skills and we have available resources and two, we contribute to the technical knowledge of our professions and our professional organisations.
Our firm is a corporate member of the Sustainable Business Network. Sustainability is the biggest opportunity and challenge that business faces and the Sustainable Business Network provides practical advice and support to assist business with this challenge.
Our responsibility also extends to the direct effects our company has on the environment. Environmental management is provided by our memberships to various groups and our individual commitment to the ethics required by our professional institutions. Sustainability and an acknowledgement of the consequences of our decisions on the environment are at the forefront of our reasons for existence.
We attempt wherever possible to minimise our effect on the environment and reduce waste going to landfill. We operate a paperless office but where we do create waste paper we recycle internal paper to scrap and recycle unusable paper externally via another company. Where possible and when practical we source products only produced in New Zealand. By sourcing nationally, and in bulk when able, we aim to reduce transport costs, while supporting local businesses. We are continually working on ways to protect our environment that go beyond green purchasing. Such initiatives are recycling including cardboard, plastic/glass bottles, tin cans and paper; a commitment to reducing energy consumption and using electronic methods of delivery and filing of both internal and external communications.
Information Technology (IT) is a significant part of our energy use and we use Energy Star equipment to minimise energy use. We also use technology to improve communication and limit our need to travel and our resultant carbon footprint. Delivery of projects is managed through regular telephone, email, and video conferencing as well as face to face meetings. In terms of external technology and to ease the burden of high volumes of data we provide clients with a number of innovative electronic data sharing tools via www.abley.com.
We obviously support sustainable transport and encourage staff to walk, cycle and take public transport to work. We are acknowledged 'winners' when it comes to travelling to work by cycle. We have won the BikeWise challenge for the last three years being national winners in 2008 and regional winners in 2008, 2009 and 2010 with 100% of staff cycling during BikeWise month.
Abley values and respects the diversity of its people and is an equal opportunities employer. Abley is committed to eliminating barriers to ensure that all employees are considered for the employment of their choice and have the chance to perform to their maximum potential.
We recognise and wish to ensure that no actions by staff or managers are unfair, demeaning, disrespectful, humiliating or unlawfully discriminating in any way. We will ensure that all applicants and staff receive equal treatment for selection, training and promotion regardless of their race, ethnic origin, colour, gender, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. No applicant or member of staff will be disadvantaged by requirements that are unnecessary for the satisfactory performance of the job.
Two of our key values are directly relevant to our role as an equal opportunities employer. These are:
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