Supplier Code of Conduct

Zendesk, Inc. including any entity, affiliate or subsidiary owned or controlled by Zendesk, Inc. (“Zendesk”) believes keeping it simple doesn’t mean compromising our integrity. We expect suppliers and other business partners with whom we do business to act with the highest ethical standards. In that regard, Suppliers must fully comply with this Supplier Code of Conduct (“Code”) and educate their employees and subcontractors so they understand and comply with this Code when doing business with or for Zendesk.

Our ethical standards are high and we expect our supplier community to be full of interesting and passionate people who do great work and know how to have fun. But sometimes situations get complex and that’s why we’ve adopted this Supplier Code of Conduct that you should consult any time you are in doubt about how to act.

It’s impossible to predict and describe every situation, so make sure you adopt both the spirit and the letter of the Code.

The Code should be viewed as the minimum standards that we expect from our supplier community. It is not intended to reduce, replace or limit any other legal or contractual obligations that you have to Zendesk.

Our Policy comes in two flavors: Short and Long

The Short Version… Conduct Business with Integrity

Specifically, Suppliers must:

  • Be Transparent
  • Be Ethical
  • Not Give Gifts to Influence Zendesk
  • Be Smart
  • Be Human / Be Safe

THE LONG VERSION… Zendesk requires its Suppliers to conduct business with integrity. Specifically, Suppliers must:

  • BE TRANSPARENT
    Avoid giving the appearance of or engaging in actual conflicts of interests. Suppliers or their representatives must not deal directly with any Zendesk employee whose spouse, domestic partner, or other family member or relative is employed by or holds a significant financial interest in the Supplier (other than publicly traded securities). Suppliers must disclose any such relationship or other actual or potential conflict of interest to their Zendesk business contact for review as soon as the conflict becomes known.
  • NOT GIVE GIFTS TO INFLUENCE ZENDESK
    Respect Zendesk’s gifts and entertainment policy. Do not offer, provide or solicit gifts or entertainment that might compromise or appear to compromise a Zendesk employee’s judgment or independence. That includes:
    • Gifts individually or cumulatively valued at more than $150 in any one year;
    • Any gift or charitable contribution solicited by an employee;
    • Cash or cash equivalents, such as gifts cards;
    • Entertainment that is lavish or that takes place in a location inconsistent with Zendesk’s values; and
    • Entertainment or gifts offered in close proximity to a significant business decision involving the Supplier.

If a Zendesk employee asks for any of the above, you must report it to Zendesk.

  • BE ETHICAL
    Never attempt to improperly influence Zendesk business decisions. Never offer a bribe, kickback, bartering arrangement, change in terms outside of the contractual relationship, or other incentive to a Zendesk employee in order to obtain or retain Zendesk business or preferential treatment.
  • BE SMART
    Use and manage Zendesk assets responsibly. Protect and responsibly use both the physical and non-physical assets of Zendesk including property, supplies, consumables, equipment, information and other intellectual property when authorized by Zendesk to use such assets. This includes:
    • Using Zendesk information technology and systems (including e-mail) only for authorized Zendesk business purposes.
    • Complying with Zendesk requirements regarding password protection, confidentiality, and security.
    • Respecting the intellectual property rights of Zendesk and others, including but not limited to patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.
    • Respecting authorization limits. Suppliers must understand what they are and are not authorized to do on behalf of Zendesk. Do not speak to the media about Zendesk or on Zendesk’s behalf unless expressly authorized in writing to do so by an authorized Zendesk employee.
    • Avoid insider trading. Do not buy or sell the stock of Zendesk or another company when in possession of information about Zendesk or another company that is not available to the investing public and that could influence an investor’s decision to buy or sell stock.
    • Respect end-user privacy. Maintain privacy and security policies that meet or exceed all applicable legal and regulatory requirements and that comply with Zendesk’s privacy and confidentiality practices, including Zendesk’s privacy policy available at www.zendesk.com.
  • BE HUMAN… BE SAFE
    Suppliers must share Zendesk’s commitment to human rights and equal opportunity in the workplace and must conduct their employment practices in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.All Suppliers must:
    • Conduct their activities in conformance with Zendesk’s commitment to a workplace free of harassment and unlawful discrimination;
    • Comply with applicable safety and health laws, regulations and practices;
    • Prohibit the use, possession, distribution, or sale of illegal drugs while on Zendesk owned or leased property;
    • Prohibit carrying or transporting handguns, firearms or other legally controlled or prohibited weapons of any kind that are not required for job performance on Zendesk leased or owned property;

This Code does not confer any rights to any third-parties. In addition, no employees of any Supplier will have any rights against Zendesk by virtue of this Code, nor will such employees have any rights to cause Zendesk to enforce any provisions of this Code. We encourage open discussion. If you have questions or concerns about this Code or your business relationship with us, please raise them with your primary Zendesk contact. In addition, Suppliers are strongly encouraged to raise any concerns or report suspected misconduct to Zendesk through the methods available at www.zendesk.com/ethics. This may be done anonymously. Please only use www.zendesk.com/ethics to report ethical and compliance violations such as accounting/audit related complaints or concerns, accounting matters or controls, code of ethics violations, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, corruption or bribery, or security or exchange violations. Any issues regarding payment, billing, etc. should be resolved by contacting your Zendesk contact directly. Zendesk will not tolerate retaliation taken against any individual who has in good faith raised questions, sought advice or reported misconduct, questionable behavior or a possible violation of law or policy.

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Questions to Procurement can be sent to: supplier@zendesk.com