Impact

westOeast’s mission is to use responsible, inclusive, and sustainable marketing and consulting capabilities to help businesses understand the real needs of employees, clients, consumers, and communities, so that commercial communication and growth create lasting positive impact for people, communities, and the environment.

We prioritize work in digital inclusion, sustainability communications, engagement with underserved groups, and impact measurement. We respect employees and partners; avoid exaggerated, misleading, or discriminatory expression in client research and communications; and continuously improve through stakeholder feedback and social and environmental indicators.

Employees, job applicants, freelancers, suppliers, clients, partners, end users, and community members may raise a grievance regarding westOeast’s employment, procurement, client service, communications, environmental practices, or business relationships.

Matters may include discrimination, harassment, bullying, retaliation, labor rights, privacy and data protection, irresponsible communications, human-rights risks in the supply chain, or other conduct that breaches the commitments on this page. Complainants do not need complete evidence when making an initial report.

westOeast prohibits retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith, gives evidence, or participates in an investigation. Information is disclosed only to people who need it to handle the matter. Grievances involving the responsible person or management are handled by the westOeast Impact Committee. Complainants remain free to use courts, labor arbitration, regulators, or any other lawful remedy.

westOeast respects the human rights of everyone affected by our operations, services, and business relationships. This policy is informed by:

• the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs);
• the International Bill of Human Rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and
• the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its five fundamental principles and rights.

This policy applies to management, employees, interns, and other workers, and guides how we work with freelancers, suppliers, clients, and other business partners.

We commit to:

• zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment, bullying, forced labor, child labor, or retaliation;
• respect for fair pay, rest, health and safety, privacy, and other applicable rights;
• assessing potential human-rights impacts in our own operations, suppliers, client projects, user research, and communications;
• protecting personal information and avoiding stigmatizing, manipulative, false, or misleading expression, with particular attention to vulnerable groups; and
• preventing and mitigating adverse impacts and remedying impacts that we cause or contribute to, while using our influence to improve impacts directly linked to our business relationships.

We identify risks through onboarding, ESG training, project reviews, supplier selection, client feedback, grievance records, and internal retrospectives. Higher-risk matters must have a named owner, action, and deadline, and must be reported to the highest governance body.

This policy is coordinated by the westOeast Impact Committee, reviewed at least annually. Anyone may use the grievance channel on this page to raise a concern.

westOeast follows the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) across our operations, client services, and community partnerships. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, race, nationality, language, religion or belief, disability, marital or family status, caring responsibilities, socioeconomic background, or any other status protected by law.

Internally, we regularly review recruitment, pay, performance, and promotion processes, and provide remote work, flexible arrangements, health coverage, Career Talks, personal development plans, and multi-source feedback. In client work, we review audience research and content to avoid stereotypes, discrimination, cultural appropriation, accessibility barriers, and the misleading or exploitative treatment of vulnerable groups. In our supply chain and community partnerships, we consider local, small, and diversely owned suppliers and support resource-constrained organizations serving underserved groups.

Annual updates will state what was completed, the progress made, the challenges encountered, and any commitments not met. Unfinished actions will include the reason, responsible person, and revised deadline.

westOeast supports limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Our principal environmental impacts arise from shared and home offices, business travel, electronic equipment, office supplies, cloud services, and suppliers. We prioritize real reductions in emissions and resource use and do not use carbon offsets as a substitute for reducing our own impact.

We maintain a remote-first, shared-office model. Procurement prioritizes durable, reusable, low-packaging products or products with credible environmental certifications. Data must be removed from electronic equipment before retirement, and equipment is prioritized for continued use or donation.

We improve the plan through employee training and feedback, data from shared-office operators, supplier engagement, and client-project reviews. We publish annual progress, challenges, and incomplete actions, and update the plan at least every 36 months.