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Our social and environmental responsibility charter

Version 2024.0 - initial version
This document is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 license.

Preamble

This charter defines our commitments in terms of social and environmental responsibility. It applies to all Badsender employees and freelancers, establishing a framework for improving our global impact.

We update this charter annually, integrating evidence and performance indicators. The updated version is validated at the Annual General Meeting, the initial version having been approved by Badsender's Strategic Committee.

Badsender special features

Badsender operates at 100% teleworkingwithout physical premises. This significantly reduces our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

Another notable feature of Badsender is its shareholder structure: 100 % of employees and a third of freelancers are company shareholders.

We are convinced that marketing has the power to transform our collective imaginations and make a more sober world desirable. We defend an ethical, responsible and inclusive vision of emailing.

The agency's Social and Environmental Responsibility Charter is based on the following 4 pillars:

  1. Anchoring a "happy at work" approach
  2. Challenge industry practices and adapt our services
  3. Raising awareness and getting stakeholders on board
  4. Reducing our CO2 emissions

1. anchoring a "happy at work" approach

Family first

We ensure that our employees' professional and personal lives are balanced and respected.

We take everyone's family and personal constraints into account. Without hesitation, we adapt meeting times or days to accommodate team needs. During our videoconferences, we welcome the presence of children or pets on our employees' laps.

Freedom and efficiency

We promote a better work-life balance by encouraging family life, associative activities and sports. We are aware that reconciling these aspects can be difficult, we favour flexible working hours. Some employees prefer to work 4 days, others 5 - it's perfectly acceptable. As long as our customers are satisfied and projects are delivered on time, everyone can organize their week as they see fit. Our only requirement is that you let others know if you're going to be absent, and that you're available to attend an urgent meeting if necessary.

We don't do meetings. If an employee feels that his or her presence at a meeting is not essential, he or she should decline or leave as soon as the subject no longer concerns him or her. This attitude is not only accepted, but also appreciated. Our philosophy? To focus on the essentials and optimize everyone's efficiency.

Seeing each other physically

We work entirely from home, which reduces our face-to-face interactions. This can be difficult when we don't see each other physically for long periods. Until now, we've organized a face-to-face team-building event once a year. Our aim, depending on the budget available, is to increase the frequency of these meetings to at least once every 9 months. Except in the case of major personal constraints, every employee is required to take part.

Avoid the unspoken and encourage feedback

Since September 2024, we have been introducing a weather" meeting fortnightly. This meeting enables everyone to share their feelings, express their thoughts constructively, and raise the frustrations that can emerge more easily in a remote working environment.

We actively promote the culture of individual feedback. We firmly believe that franchising drives performance. The more constructive feedback we receive, the more we improve. To convey this feedback, we prefer voice messages, which allow us to better perceive the tone and state of mind of the sender.

Reducing wage inequality

To guarantee a decent wage for all our employees and reduce wage inequalitywe are committed to :

  • Pay our employees at least 120 % of the minimum wage
  • Maximum compensation capped at 400 % of the SMIC (including executives)

Thus, the highest salary in the company cannot exceed 3.3 times the lowest salary.

In the interests of transparency, the salaries of all employees are published in the company budget, which is accessible to all staff.

We are also committed to achieving and maintaining strict gender pay equality. L'gender pay gap within our organization will never exceed 5 % for equivalent skills, responsibilities and experience. This commitment reflects our determination to eliminate all gender-based wage discrimination and establish a standard of financial equity for all our employees.

Gender parity

Our CoOp (the Operational Committee that defines the agency's major orientations) must respect strict parity, with 50 % women and 50 % men.

Fight against discrimination

Badsender campaigns for inclusion. Unlike integration, inclusion does not require a minority to conform to an established norm. In an inclusive space, everyone finds their place and is considered "normal". Whatever our sex, gender, social origin, skin color, sexual orientation or state of health, we are all part of the same environment. It's up to this environment to adapt and open up to everyone.

All shareholders

Each employee receives three free shares after one year's service. They can then invest more if they wish. We also offer regular freelance employees the opportunity to acquire shares. This approach encourages greater involvement and demonstrates a strong commitment to the values the company seeks to embody: independence, expertise, freedom and commitment.

Organization and decision-making

Strategic issues and the agency's vision are discussed by the Operational Committee, which meets every week. The resulting proposals, as well as all budgetary decisions and strategic orientations, are presented in full transparency and submitted for approval at a monthly meeting of the Strategic Committee, which is attended by all employees. This approach ensures that all employees are informed of the major issues at stake, thus promoting transparency within the company and the commitment of each and every employee.

2. Challenge industry practices and adapt our services

The Badsender manifesto is at the heart of our CSR charter.

It establishes the ethical framework for our professional practice. Read our manifesto.

In their daily work with customers, our employees must apply the principles set out in our manifesto. This involves listening to customers' needs, questioning traditional marketing practices (especially aggressive tactics such as FOMO - Fear of Missing Out), proposing alternatives and identifying potential obstacles.

To develop our internal skills in digital responsibility, transparency, accessibility, inclusivity, new narratives, combating stereotypes and protecting privacy, every employee is encouraged to keep up to date. This means reading articles, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts - in short, ongoing training on the emerging issues that will shape the future of our profession.

This theme is explored in greater depth in Pillar 3: Raising awareness and involving stakeholders.

3. Raising awareness and getting stakeholders on board

Customer selection policy

In line with our raison d'être, we support organizations committed to reducing their impact on living organisms. We refuse to promote or advertise directly harmful activities, such as airlines, airports, cruise operators and long-haul travel agencies.

We support companies that have made the ecological and social transition a core part of their business model. We encourage the social action, service, health, training, community and public administration sectors, as well as all organizations that contribute to the functioning of tomorrow's society.

We have classified our customers and their projects into three categories according to an internally co-constructed evaluation grid, including environmental, social and ethical criteria:

  • Horizon 1 (H1): sectors or projects not aligned with our raison d'être
  • Horizon 2 (H2): sectors or projects generating little direct impact, mainly the service sector
  • Horizon 3 (H3): sectors or projects aligned with our raison d'être

Our aim is to reduce the proportion of our sales generated by H1 companies, increase that of H2s and, ultimately, generate sales mainly from H3 organizations. When a prospect's main activity or project seems to us to be close to H1, we explain our raison d'être and ask them for their commitments, as well as their willingness to be accompanied by an agency like ours. If the return is deemed insufficient (by the operational committee), we refuse the project. This happened to us three times in 2024.

Since 2021, we have been systematically calculating the carbon equivalent of the assignment on our quotes and invoices, and adding this statement: "Carbon emissions of the assignment: XX euros excl. tax * 0.039 kg CO2e = XX kg CO2e".

Content strategy

The content generated by Badsender and distributed to our prospects and customers must be 90 % editorial. We refuse to generate purely commercial content.

Develop sound relationships with our partners and competitors, and work as an ecosystem

Each employee is responsible for developing the ecosystem of partners and competitors by inviting them to share their views during our lives, podcasts and interviews published on our blog.

The aim is to understand the specificities and uniqueness of each to better serve the end customer and work in synergy. We make sure that everyone has their place, without encroaching on each other's areas of expertise.

We demonstrate transparency, responsibility and sincerity in our responses to invitations to tender - when we respond to several - and in our relations with our competitors.

Badsender is committed to 30-day payment terms. We do not negotiate longer terms with our suppliers.

Continuously raising employee awareness

Sharing knowledge is at the heart of daily life at Badsender. Each employee actively contributes by sharing his or her discoveries, innovations, nuggets and project experiences via our communication channels.

Several times a month, we organize "Knowledge Sharing" sessions open to the whole team. Employees take it in turns to present their knowledge, findings or research on a specific subject. This practice ensures that individual knowledge is regularly passed on to the whole team.

Throughout the year, we encourage our team members to broaden their skills, whether through webinars, training courses or exchanges with other professionals. To target the most relevant training courses, we conduct individual interviews focusing on each person's aspirations for progress and the specific challenges they face.

4. Reduce our CO2 emissions

Calculate our annual carbon footprint

We carried out our first carbon assessment covering all three scopes in 2021. From now on, we are committed to producing and analyzing our carbon emissions every year in order to monitor and reduce our impact on the greenhouse effect. All employees and freelancers are required to complete at least one "employee questionnaire" in January. Some employees are also asked to provide additional data needed to calculate the agency's carbon footprint.

Travel and transport

At Badsender, this source of emissions is almost non-existent thanks to our telecommuting policy. Nevertheless, we have put in place several rules to achieve our objectives:

  • We systematically favour remote meetings with our customers, suppliers and partners.
  • In the event of necessary relocation, we give preference to low-carbon means of transport (mainly bicycles and trains) for medium and long-distance journeys.
  • With certain exceptions (to be approved by the operational committee), travel is prohibited if the journey time exceeds 2 hours for less than half a day's work (meeting, conference, workshop, etc.).
  • With certain exceptions (to be validated by the operational committee), air travel is prohibited.

Purchase of computer supplies and equipment

Badsender raises employee awareness of keep their hardware as long as possible.

  • Favoring the purchase of reconditioned IT equipment, or long-term leasing of reconditioned equipment with no obligation to buy.
  • Opt for brands and appliances that are easy to repair (a reparability index of at least 8/10 when available), easy to dismantle and whose spare parts are accessible.
  • As far as possible, favor eco-labeled products from responsible, local suppliers, as well as those with an above-average estimated lifespan.
  • Adapt screen sizes to the specific needs of each employee. For example, a designer will need a larger screen than an emailing consultant, as their respective tasks require different configurations.
  • For large office supplies (chairs, tables, etc.), give preference to reconditioned equipment or equipment rental with no obligation to buy.
  • For small office supplies and consumables (paper, pens, envelopes, ink cartridges, etc.), opt for recycled and recyclable items, ideally produced in Europe.

Purchasing services

When a new service is required, or when a new competition is launched, the price and content of the service should not be the only factors analyzed. Priority should be given to :

  • Service providers who carry out a carbon footprint assessment, make their data public and are committed to reducing their environmental impact.
  • Independent contractors and freelancers will be favored over agencies for identical services.
  • Services (including labor and/or servers) located in countries with a low-carbon energy mix.
  • Suppliers whose workforces are located in the most socially virtuous countries.
  • Service providers with recognized labels and certifications, validating their good social and environmental practices.

Before considering replacement, and to prolong the life of equipment, employees need to have their equipment repaired and cared for regularly. Badsender takes care of this maintenance.

Non-binding recommendations for employees and collaborators

Badsender respects the privacy of its employees and collaborators, who remain free to manage their daily lives and their homes as they see fit. However, in view of the climate emergency, we have drawn up a series of suggestions that everyone is free to adopt at home, in co-working, during and outside working hours.

Taking care of your digital devices

To preserve the batteries, we recommend :

  • Avoid leaving your computer or cell phone constantly plugged into the mains.
  • Do not fully discharge the battery or charge it to 100 %.
  • Protect your devices with a cover (computer) or a case (phone).
  • Use WiFi whenever possible, as the impact of 4G or 5G is greater.

Waste management policy

  • Computer and electronic equipment must be taken to a specialized sorting center for proper treatment and recycling. In the event of replacement, the seller of the new equipment is obliged to take back the old. Never dispose of this type of equipment, even small items such as mice or USB sticks, in ordinary garbage cans.
  • Take large office supplies to a specialized sorting center.
  • Prioritize the digitization of uses (electronic signatures, electronic registered letters, digital notes) to limit the waste of small office supplies and consumables. Sort this waste like household refuse.

Credits, versions, license and reuse of this charter

Badsender's raison d'être is to support organizations in taking responsibility. This charter is fully in line with this spirit. To encourage other companies and organizations to adopt best practices in social and environmental responsibility, we are releasing this document under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 license.

In other words, you're free to reuse and modify this charter without restriction, without even having to cite your source. Don't hesitate to take advantage!

Credits :

CSR Referent Badsender : Marion Duchatelet