We have established sound corporate governance practices that encourage and mandate accountability and transparency in our decision-making.

WNS encourages Sustainable development

WNS Compliance Program Landscape

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Policies and Programs

We aim to inculcate and nurture behaviors in our employees that promote a just, equitable, fair and responsible work environment. The policies that we have instituted offer clarity on our expectations of good and ethical conduct in business from employees. They reflect and reinforce our corporate values and act as guardrails against missteps.

The policies that apply to our employees are:

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WNS Code of Business Ethics and Conduct

Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (CoBEC)

Our employees provide an annual sign-off on CoBEC, which includes a declaration and an undertaking to adhere to the compliance standards, as a part of their employment terms and conditions. CoBEC is the overarching compliance policy that also underpins other areas of compliance oversight, including:

  • Reporting, accounting and financial records
  • Conflict of interest (For more details on mitigation strategies and measures implemented by our organization, please refer to CoBEC)
  • Anti-money laundering
  • Insider trading

CoBEC sets the ethical standards for the business and defines the contours of the operating framework for the compliance program. At an operational level, CoBEC prescribes principles and practices that the company and our employees must follow. There is a strong flavor of CoBEC in the Client Gift and Entertainment Guidelines, Supplier Governance framework and Know Your Business Partner evaluation standards, among others. Additionally, we have a section on human rights in our CoBEC policy as a signatory to the UN Global Compact. This initiative reiterates our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For more information, please refer to our policy.

Whistleblower Policy and Mechanism

WNS empowers its associates to flag issues around non-compliance with rules and regulations, fraud or deficiencies. Complaints are given their due and dealt with expeditiously and complainants are protected from harassment. A complainant can bring an issue to the notice of the appropriate authority anonymously. All complaints are reviewed under the direction of the Audit Committee and oversight by the company’s General Counsel, internal audit manager or such other persons as they determine to be appropriate.

For more information, please refer to our policy.

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Responsible Supply Chain and Supply Management Governance Framework

WNS has adopted responsible sourcing as an essential component of our ESG framework. As part of the supplier onboarding process, we prioritize the environmental aspect during supplier onboarding to ensure sustainability throughout our supply chain. We collect suppliers’ information related to their environmental aspects in doing business with WNS. We encourage suppliers to have established environmental policies demonstrating their commitment to pollution prevention, resource conservation and compliance with environmental regulations. We collect information about their efforts on energy efficiency and waste management practices, encouraging the use of renewable energy sources and promoting waste reduction. By requesting transparent environmental reporting and collaborating with suppliers on continuous improvement, we aim to create a greener and more sustainable supply chain for a better environmental future.

The key drivers in this program include:

  • The Know Your Business Partner (KYBP) program, which allows a risk-based approach in engaging with the suppliers
  • A robust supplier governance program, where mandatory training and an annual self-certification program ensure the alignment of our suppliers with WNS’ compliance and governance framework
  • The Supplier Diversity Program (SDP), which helps with the following:
    1. Provides a level playing field
    2. Creates opportunities in the commercial market
    3. Uplifts the economic standards of suppliers from minority, small and disadvantaged communities
  • We prioritize the environmental aspect during supplier onboarding to ensure there is an understanding of sustainable practices that
  • The supplier awareness program, where we focus on supplier engagement to jointly establish the highest levels of governance for the business

Each of the above elements has provided a new impetus to the organization’s sustainability goals.

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Supplier Code of Conduct

WNS is committed to protecting human rights and prohibiting child labor or forced labor, not only in its business but also in the entire value chain. The undertone of our Responsible Sourcing agenda is about ensuring good governance in the supply chain as well.

As an extension of our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) toward fair labor practices, the procurement team leads the initiatives under the supply management function by ensuring transparency and accountability of the supplier toward prevention of modern slavery, bribery and corruption in the supply chain. This is achieved through an annual self-assessment and awareness program designed to achieve alignment in the compliance of the suppliers, with WNS governance standards. The above principles are amply articulated in the WNS Supplier Code of Conduct and is integrated into the supplier management function, through contractual obligation and with a mandatory consent as a pre-requisite for supplier onboarding.

For more information, please refer to our policy.

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Supplier Diversity Program

We support and promote diverse businesses that may be small, disadvantaged and under-represented. The Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) offers a competitive marketplace to deserving suppliers and promotes an environment of merit-based evaluation and selection.

As a part of this initiative, suppliers can provide their diversity status if they fall into one or more of the following categories:

  • Small businesses (indigenous, local businesses)
  • Underrepresented businesses (owned and managed by disadvantaged communities)
  • Distanced businesses (located in remote or tribal areas, with little or no access to commercial markets)

WNS is dedicated to establishing a robust ecosystem of suppliers from various backgrounds. Through its Supplier Diversity Program, WNS guarantees equal opportunities for all suppliers to participate in our procurement process while actively promoting engagement with suppliers representing diverse communities. We encourage diverse suppliers to provide their information profiles via our supplier onboarding platform.

Digital Security and Customer Privacy

Digital security and customer privacy norms are critical considerations for any organization. A strong set of norms not only mitigates cyber vulnerability but also helps build trust and loyalty with partners and clients. At WNS, we take these factors seriously and ensure that we adhere to strict guidelines to safeguard both our data and our client’s data. Any personal data collected from our clients for the delivery of services is kept secure in line with applicable laws and regulations. We not only obtain the required permissions before doing so, but clients can also withdraw consent if required. We have formulated our information security framework based on ISO 27001 guidelines.

Our information security team conducts periodic risk assessments of the organization and our client’s environments. This enables us to identify any vulnerability and take corrective and preventive measures by installing a robust control structure. In addition, we have instituted a formal data privacy policy to ensure our data privacy efforts comply with the various data protection acts and rules as applicable

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WNS has achieved ISO 27001 information security certification and is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certified under the category of Level 1 Service Provider for all client processes that either store, process or transmit cardholder information. In addition, we also undergo enterprise-wide SSAE 19 / ISAE 3402 SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 audits for our general control environment. All employees of WNS complete a mandatory computer-based Information Security Awareness Program (iSAP) and electronically sign off on an information security handbook, which is an extract of the Information Security Policy. There were no substantial complaints received concerning breaches related to customer privacy during the current financial year. We also ensure that each team member completes training in the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (CoBEC). Employees are also made aware of disciplinary actions associated with any policy violations or data breaches.

WNS’ dedicated Information Security team, led by the Chief Information Security Officer, works toward ensuring compliance and strengthening the company’s security posture. This is accomplished through regular effectiveness reviews and audits of implemented controls, robust incident management practices, and identification and recommendation of new controls. The company’s compliance status is periodically shared with the Risk Committee. The Risk Committee, which oversees the Information Security program, comprises top company management, including the leadership group and is chaired by our Group CEO.