Managing a Sustainable Business

Responsible Leadership and Sustainability Help Us Work Better

We believe in conducting our business in a sustainable manner and demonstrating responsible leadership. We have developed principles that direct our product development and business operations. Our endorsement of the UN Global Compact signifies our commitment to aligning our business operations with ten established principles spanning human rights, labor, environment, and business ethics.

  • Standards of Business Conduct

    Our commitment to responsible business practices is reflected in our culture of business integrity, accountability and transparency. All Microsoft employees are expected to understand and comply with our Standards of Business Conduct, and participate in training that explains regulatory requirements, internal practices and ethics.

    Learn more about Standards of Business Conduct

  • Corporate Governance

    Strong corporate governance takes into account the interests of our employees, customers, partners, suppliers, and the many communities around the world where we do business. Microsoft's independent, committed and effective Board of Directors establishes, maintains, and monitors standards and policies for ethics, business practices, and compliance.

    Learn more about Corporate Governance

  • Environmental Principles

    We work to minimize our company’s environmental footprint, reduce the energy and raw materials used by our products, and help customers and partners manage their own environmental profiles by offering energy-saving and innovative software.

  • Supply Chain Management

    Suppliers are a vital part of Microsoft’s business success, and an extension of our corporate footprint. We have a comprehensive Vendor Code of Conduct that sets tough standards for our approximately 35,000 contractors, suppliers, and vendors around the world. We seek to ensure conformance to these standards through direct engagement and training of our contracted direct material suppliers. We conduct informal and formal risk-based third party monitoring based on the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) Code of Conduct, laws and regulations. This performance and capability assessment lets us identify performance gaps and improve processes to reduce risk and ensure a robust and sustainable supply chain.

  • Human Rights

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls on every part of society to help realize its vision. We recognize the impact that technology companies can have in advancing these internationally recognized goals. Microsoft supports the United Nations Global Compact, and has adopted internal guidelines on free expression, fair employment and supply chain management for employees and suppliers around the world. We understand the impact our business can have directly – for example, through technology, services, and skills development – at furthering the potential of people and organizations and responding to human rights goals around the world.

  • Anti-Bribery & Corruption

    Bribery and corruption are unacceptable at Microsoft. They are inconsistent with our values and violate our Standards of Business Conduct.

  • Employee Relations & Diversity

    The health, wellbeing and diversity of our employees differentiate Microsoft and help us succeed. These drive our creativity, and ensure that the cultures and backgrounds of all employees are valued equally, which helps us attract and retain the best talent. We provide our employees with a variety of resources to help them balance work and home life, including referral services, generous maternity and parental leave allowances, and flexible work arrangements, such as part-time and telecommuting.

 
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Microsoft Public Policy Agenda

(PDF file, 220 KB)