According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 40 million people were victims of modern slavery and 152 million children were subject to child labor  globally in 2016. As the ILO reports :

• 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.
• Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labour, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million persons in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million persons in forced labour imposed by state authorities.
• Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors.

Aristotle Metadata deplores the presence and persistence of modern slavery and child labor, and takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that neither modern slavery nor child labor takes place in its supply chain or in any part of its business. (“Modern slavery” in this statement refers to slavery, forced or compulsory labor, trafficking, servitude, and workers who are imprisoned, indentured, or bonded. “Child labor” refers to work performed by someone under 16 years of age, or under 14 for light work, provided it is not confined to periods that interfere with the child’s schooling and not in conditions that interfere with the child’s health or well-being.) In accordance with the UK Modern Slavery Act , and in alignment with the ILO 2014 Protocol to its Forced Labour Convention , ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work , and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target 8.7 , this 2018 Statement Against Modern Slavery and Child Labor (“the Statement”) describes the steps Aristotle Metadata has taken to prevent modern slavery and child labor from occurring in its business or supply chain.

Aristotle Metadata’s structure, business, and supply chains

Aristotle Metadata is a software development platform with its headquarters in Canberra Australia, and employees and contractors working in numerous countries. All Aristotle Metadata employees and individual independent contractors are voluntary and at-will. Aristotle Metadata has a diverse and distributed workforce, and strives to provide competitive compensation and benefits to its employees and contractors regardless of location. This is true whether we hire independent contractors directly or through an intermediary. Aristotle Metadata does not conduct manufacturing or produce hardware, nor does Aristotle Metadata use recruitment agencies for the kinds of services often performed by migrant workers. The nature of Aristotle Metadata’s business does not subject it to sudden changes in workload or pricing pressures, which often drive demand for practices that increase the risk of forced labor in supply chains, such as forced overtime. Aristotle Metadata offers free and paid software and web-based software as a service to customers all over the world. Aristotle Metadata’s products include:

• Aristotle Metadata Registry: web-based data documentation and collaboration platform
• Tablion Data Portal: web-based data request and data sharing platform
• Aristotle Activate: command-line tools for data and metadata creation and injestion

Aristotle Metadata’s supply chain consists of goods and services for our products and operations including computing services, event planning, purchase of retail and promotional items, office supplies, and leasing of facilities such as office space and data centers.

Policies in relation to modern slavery and child labor

Modern slavery and child labor

Our employment contracts prohibits knowingly using, participating in, supporting, or tolerating modern slavery (slavery, forced or compulsory labor, trafficking, servitude, or workers who are imprisoned, indentured, or bonded) or child labor in its business operations. Any Aristotle Metadata employee or contractor who violates this prohibition will be subject to termination of employment or business relationship. Our Standards of Conduct prohibit unsafe and illegal conduct, including knowingly using, participating in, supporting, or tolerating modern slavery (slavery, forced or compulsory labor, trafficking, servitude, or workers who are imprisoned, indentured, or bonded) or child labor. Aristotle Metadata complies with laws prohibiting trafficking and child labor in the jurisdictions in which it operates. Aristotle Metadata has a non-retaliation policy for reporting workplace-related concerns. Consistent with this Statement, Aristotle Metadata allows employees and contractors to report issues regarding modern slavery and child labor without fear of retaliation.

Labor laws and practices

Aristotle Metadata’s labor practices are fair:

• Aristotle Metadata pays its employees and contractors a fair wage, in accordance with applicable legal wages
• Aristotle Metadata maintains humane working conditions
• Aristotle Metadata does not require workers to exceed the maximum hours of daily labor set by local and national laws or regulations
• Aristotle Metadata pays its employees and contractors in a timely manner, with documentation (such as a pay stub) stating the basis on which they are paid, and keeps employee records in accordance with local and national laws

humane and ethical:

• Aristotle Metadata uses only voluntary labor
• Aristotle Metadata prohibits child labor
• Aristotle Metadata does not engage in physical discipline or abuse
• Aristotle Metadata does not tolerate harassment or unlawful discrimination in the workforce or workplace

respectful:

• Aristotle Metadata protects its employees’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining in accordance with legal requirements, including to post legal notices of employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act
• Aristotle Metadata provides benefits to employees at or in excess of levels expected in the industry
• Aristotle Metadata encourages employees to report any workplace complaint and does not tolerate retaliation for reporting

Due diligence processes in relation to modern slavery and child labor in its business and supply chains

Aristotle Metadata assesses its business and supply chain for risks related to modern slavery and child labor. Drawing on internal and external human rights expertise, Aristotle Metadata engaged in a cross-functional analysis (including Policy, Legal, Procurement, Finance, and Operations, especially Human Resources) to determine where labor services exist in its business and supply chain and to identify potential risks related to modern slavery and child labor. Aristotle Metadata prioritizes areas where those risks might be more significant in terms of severity, scale, or probability for greater due diligence, monitoring, and verification. Aristotle Metadata continues to consider where risks may occur and how to address them. In addition, Aristotle Metadata only engages with suppliers that provide public statements that assure that they have practices consistent with this Statement, including by complying with laws related to modern slavery or child labor.

Places in Aristotle Metadata’s business and supply chains where there is a risk of modern slavery and child labor, and steps Aristotle Metadata has taken to assess and manage that risk

Aristotle Metadata has not identified any high-risk suppliers; however, modern slavery or child labor would be more likely to occur with suppliers for services involving manual labor, such as event support, construction, facilities services, and food services. Aristotle Metadata will audit its existing suppliers and require those in such higher risk areas to confirm that they provide services consistent with this Statement. Although Aristotle Metadata knows of no actual or alleged modern slavery or child labor in its business or supply chain, and has no credible basis to believe it is occurring, Aristotle Metadata is committed to providing remedies if Aristotle Metadata itself were to directly cause modern slavery or child labor and to remediation of broader patterns of non-conformance with this Statement caused by deficiencies in Aristotle Metadata’s systems or processes. Aristotle Metadata’s remediation to individual victims would include protocols for appropriate immediate action to eliminate the modern slavery and child labor practices, along with resources for reasonable and appropriate victim services designed to offset the harm experienced.

Effectiveness in ensuring neither modern slavery nor child labor is occurring in Aristotle Metadata’s business or supply chains

Aristotle Metadata complies and will continue to comply with laws related to modern slavery and child labor. Going forward, Aristotle Metadata wil continuously review our suppliers for alignment with this Statement, as well as laws related to modern slavery and child labor. Aristotle Metadata now prioritises suppliers that have public statements ensuring they will:

• not use, participate in, support, or tolerate modern slavery or child labor
• not use misleading or fraudulent recruitment or engagement practices for employees or contract workers
• not charge employees or contract workers recruitment or engagement fees
• not destroy, conceal, confiscate, or otherwise deny access by an employee or any contract worker to passport, driver’s license, or other identity documents;
• allow us to terminate our agreements with them for any violation of its obligations related to modern slavery or child labor; and
• remediate any harms caused to any worker found to be subjected to any form of modern slavery or child labor, if required by law.

In addition, Aristotle Metadata strongly encourages its suppliers to:

• conduct anti-modern slavery and child labor due diligence processes, including risk assessments, for their suppliers;
• take steps to address risks identified; and
• use similar anti-modern slavery and child labor language with their suppliers.

Training for Aristotle Metadata staff about modern slavery and human trafficking

Aristotle Metadata is committed to developing modern slavery and child labor training that will be mandatory for all employees, with a view to Aristotle Metadata’s business and supply chain. Aristotle Metadata will emphasize suppliers providing services involving manual labor, such as event support, construction, facilities services, and food services, as areas of greater potential risk. Aristotle Metadata’s Board of Directors approved this Statement and this was endorsed in full by the Chief Executive Officer.