Code of Conduct

Safeguarding Policy & Standards

Contents

  1. Introduction: Company Culture & Positioning
  2. Overview of Policy
  3. At-Risk Individuals: Definition
  4. Code of Conduct
  5. Involved Parties: Scope & Applicability
  6. Reporting & Accountability
  7. Training & Enforcement of Policy
  8. Conclusion

Introduction: Company Culture & Positioning

The Beneficial Design Institute stands for creating a positive impact in all the work we do. In our research and projects, this extends to our mission for sustainable, regenerative transformation through lenses of culture, society, material and scientific innovation. Our inherent involvement in topics of equity, inclusivity, and democracy interweaves with our commitment to our own learning journeys as global citizens who work in the creative industries. The values that underlie the founding of the company are also embedded in our workplace culture.

The Beneficial Design Institute is committed to protecting all involved persons and ensuring an equitable, open environment in which all parties’ needs and feedback are met with serious consideration. The conduct of all employees and partners shall align within the following framework of acceptable behaviour.

Overview of Policy

  1. The Beneficial Design Institute stands for fair, humane societies, and environmental restoration of our planet. We aim to create a positive impact at both the local and global levels, and this starts with our own professional culture.
  2. The Beneficial Design Institute condemns all forms of aggression, hate, and harm, especially towards those most at risk in society.  
  3. All involved parties must agree, in writing, to follow our Code of Conduct, and to comply with the consequences for breaches of the code.
  4. All involved parties of the Beneficial Design Institute shall be made aware of and held accountable to our zero-tolerance approach towards harm, including abuse, exploitation and neglect of children and adults at risk. 
  5. This policy is publicly available at www.bd-i.de/safeguarding-policy. 

At-Risk Individuals: Definition

The Beneficial Design Institute is committed, with special attention, to the protection of and active allyship with at-risk individuals. Children are not employed by the Beneficial Design Institute, and all involved parties must treat children with care and respect. 

Adults at risk are those who identify with marginalized social experience, or medical precarity. This includes people who experience discrimination based on age, ethnicity, religion, physical, mental or other disability, social, civic or health status, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic disadvantages, indigenous status, or migration status, and others who may be unable to protect themselves from significant harm or exploitation. All adults at risk should be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence.

A child is a human, no matter country of origin or legal status, under the age of 18, as dictated by local law. The Beneficial Design Institute vies that all children should be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence.

Code of Conduct

Expected Conduct

Involved parties of the Beneficial Design Institute are expected to conduct themselves with a respect for all life: this extends from the immediate environment of company culture to the approach to global citizenship and environmentalism. In the workplace, respectful, compassionate communication is the baseline of company culture. In our larger local and global communities, the Beneficial Design Institute encourages involved parties towards bold advocacy for a more just, humanitarian, ecological future.

Unaccepted Behaviors & Consequences

The following behaviors are not tolerated at the Beneficial Design Institute, and we result in immediate accountability measures, as detailed below. 

  1. Policy: There is a zero-tolerance policy for harm, including abuse, exploitation and neglect of children and adults at risk.
    Consequence: This behavior, whether conducted in or out of the workplace, will be reported to local authorities, and result in the immediate termination of the perpetrator’s professional relationship with the Beneficial Design Institute..
  2. Policy: No discrimination based on age, ethnicity, religion, physical, mental or other disability, social, civic or health status, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic disadvantages, indigenous status, or migration status will be tolerated. Discrimination includes derogatory language, denial of opportunities, unequal pay, or other unequal treatment.
    Consequence: a mediation will be set up within one week, facilitated mediator agreed upon by all involved parties. If no internal mediator can be found, an external mediator shall be hired. The management ensures that the perpetrator of the discrimination will immediately amend the instance of discrimination if it is structural, or undergo training if it is behavioral.
  3. Policy: No derisive language (hate speech) based on age, ethnicity, religion, physical, mental or other disability, social, civic or health status, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic disadvantages, indigenous status, or migration status will be tolerated. This extends beyond peers in the workplace; derisive language towards anyone at large is equally condemned.
    Consequence: A mediation will be set up within one week, facilitated mediator agreed upon by all involved parties. If no internal mediator can be found, an external mediator shall be hired. If the perpetrator does not commit to amending behavior, it will result in the immediate termination of the perpetrator’s professional relationship and contract with the Beneficial Design Institute.  
  4. Policy: No intimidation or threatening language is an acceptable form of communication; all employees, partners, contractors, and contributors will be treated with respect in language, tone of voice, and behavior.
    Consequence: A mediation will be set up within one week, facilitated mediator agreed upon by all involved parties. If no internal mediator can be found, an external mediator shall be hired. If the perpetrator does not commit to amending behavior, it will result in the immediate termination of the perpetrator’s professional relationship and contract with the Beneficial Design Institute. 
  5. Policy: Physical intimidation, such as aggressive shouting, gesturing, or obstruction of space, is strictly prohibited.
    Consequence: The first incident of such behavior will result in a mandatory mediation session; if the perpetrator commits to amending the behavior, they will complete a one-month probation period. The second instance of physical intimidation will result in the immediate termination of the perpetrator’s professional relationship and contract with the Beneficial Design Institute. 
  6. Policy: Sexual harassment, including unwanted flirting, touching, gesturing, or inuendo is strictly prohibited.
    Consequence: The first incident of such behavior will result in a mandatory mediation session; if the perpetrator commits to amending the behavior, they will complete a one-month probation period. The second instance of sexual harassment will result in the immediate termination of the perpetrator’s professional relationship and contract with the Beneficial Design Institute. 
  7. Policy: Physical or sexual violence, including any aggressive physical contact, is both prohibited by company policy, as well as local law.
    Consequence: Any instance of physical or sexual violence will be reported to local authorities, and result in the immediate termination of the perpetrator’s professional relationship with the Beneficial Design Institute.

Conflict Resolution Procedure

In the incident of reported conflict between parties involved with the Beneficial Design Institute, regardless of the motive or the presence of discrimination, the following measures will be taken. 

  1. A mediation session will be set up within one week of the incident, facilitated by a mediator agreed upon by all involved parties. If no internal mediator can be found, an external mediator shall be hired.
  2. In the instance that no agreement can be reached by the parties, the mediator will devise a compromise for future interactions of all parties, which all parties will sign. 
  3. In the instance of discrimination or violation of the code of conduct, the perpetrator, with the agreement of all parties present in mediation, will complete a one-month probationary period of home office.
  4. In the instance of physical or sexual violence, or other any illegal activities conducted within a professional context, the authorities will be notified, the perpetrator barred from professional premises, and the professional relationship and contract terminated.

Involved Parties: Scope & Applicability

All involved parties must adhere to the Code of Conduct as a prerequisite to working for or with the Beneficial Design Institute. Compliance will be ensured through a signed acknowledgement of reading the policy and commitment to uphold it. The involved parties include:

  1. Employees: leadership, contract workers, freelance workers, and interns.
  2. Partners: collaborators, sponsors, and content contributors.
  3. Clients: any entity under legal contract to work with Beneficial Design Institute.

Reporting & Accountability

Risk Assessment

At a small company, there is less structure for Human Resources activities. This could lead to the risk of involved parties lacking the personnel to help in the instance of a critical workplace incident or breach of the Code of Conduct. However, our small size also aids with greater transparency and accountability, as there is an interpersonal relationship between all involved parties.

Reporting Procedure

To mitigate the risks of lacking a Human Resources department, a designated senior staff will be the point for complaints to be filed as an HR Proxy. This HR Proxy is not the person in control of contracting, and does not have the ability to fire employees. The HR Proxy will then file the report to higher management, either anonymous or non-anonymous, based on the wishes of the one reporting the incident. The HR Proxy will trigger the Conflict Resolution Procedure if it is the wish of the one who submitted the report to do so.

Auditing & Review

The Beneficial Design Institute, due to its scale of fewer than 10 employees, does not complete a third-party audit. The team annually completes an anonymous feedback survey on company safeguarding, to be reviewed by the HR proxy. Each team member has a bi-annual one-on-one dialogue with management on well-being and performance in the work environment.

Training & Enforcement of Policy

The Beneficial Design Institute expects its involved parties to uphold the values of equity, inclusivity, and compassion in all professional contexts.

Employees agree with written signatures to comply with the framework of company safeguarding and the Code of Conduct.

All leadership and staff, including CEO, contract workers, freelance workers, and interns, will complete training materials on workplace conduct. This includes training material addressing unconscious bias, non-violent communication, DEI, as well as training to prevent sexual harassment and other forms of violence.

In the case of transgression, all involved parties are required to report any breach of policy to the Beneficial Design Institute management and HR Proxy for accountability procedures. The consequences of breaching the Code of Conduct will be implemented immediately and with a solution-minded approach; that is, with a fair evaluation of the situation and agreed pathway towards resolution. Additionally, all involved parties must report any violations of local laws to the relevant authorities.

Conclusion

In alignment with on company values, the Beneficial Design Institute hereby commits to upholding all aforementioned measures of conduct, communication, and accountability.

Confirmed by:


 01.01.2025, Berlin

Friederike von Wedel-Parlow
Beneficial Design e.V.

Next review of the Safeguarding Policy & Standards: 31.01.2026

IMPRESSUM

BENEFICIAL DESIGN e.V.
Retzdorffpromenade 2, D-12161 Berlin

T: +49.30.86 45 79 78
M: +49.172 329 22 33
f.vonwedel(at)bd-i.de

Responsible for the content (according to § 55 para. 2 RStV):

Chairwoman: Friederike von Wedel-Parlow, Retzdorffpromenade 2, D-12161 Berlin
AG Charlottenburg, VR 36726 B
Steuernummer 27/661/52656

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