Code of Conduct and Ethics Manual

 

1. MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION

The production and use of knowledge in organizations are currently fundamental and differentiating factors that underpin a company’s good performance. At Quantal, the priority is to believe in the potential of our teams and the partners around us, the technological tools we have, and the willingness to face any project, if necessary, in a different way, with total cooperation, risk-sharing, performance, and loyalty with each element of our company. We want to develop a culture of continuous innovation focused on people, demonstrating at every step the advantages of this innovation within the company. After all, companies are people with faces, and investing in innovation with ethics and responsibility benefits us all!

2. OBJECTIVES AND APPLICATION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS MANUAL

The Quantal Code of Conduct and Ethics Manual is the document that includes a set of principles that outline the company’s activity and a set of ethical and deontological rules to be observed by the administration members and all employees in their relationship with clients, suppliers, and other partners, as well as among themselves. The Code of Conduct and Ethics Manual was created with the fundamental objective of:

a) Sharing the principles that guide the company’s activity and the ethical and deontological rules that should guide the behavior of all employees and administration and promoting the adoption of ethical and deontological principles and rules by our partners;

b) Promoting and encouraging the adoption of the principles of action and behavioral rules defined in this Manual, namely the company’s values in the relationships of the entire Quantal community among themselves and with other partners;

c) Consolidating Quantal’s institutional image characterized by Determination, Dynamism, Enthusiasm, Creativity, and Openness.

It also stipulates measures to prevent and combat workplace harassment, establishing a set of principles and rules to be observed by all workers, regardless of hierarchy. For all purposes, workers are considered to be those who have a professional relationship with the company. The obligation to comply with this manual remains throughout the duration of the employment contract, and no one is allowed to claim ignorance of it.

Mission | Vision | Values

Mission
To be a global team of qualified people who sustainably connect businesses, markets, and customers.

Vision
To be the number one choice for our customers, employees, partners, and society in general.

Values

  • Customer Focus and Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction is the source of benefit for employees, shareholders, and suppliers, sought systematically and without limits.
  • Innovation in technology, materials, products, and services: We seek continuous improvement in all phases of our processes. We are always available to find the best solutions with our customers and suppliers.
  • Recognition of talent, creativity, and professionalism: The involvement of our employees and their participation and consultation are the basis of our strength, driving motivation, skills, and promoting continuous updating.
  • Responsibility and sustainability: We are committed to finding solutions that minimize the environmental impact of our activity, protecting the environment.
  • Respect and Concern for the surrounding environment: Ensuring safe and healthy conditions that allow the prevention of work-related injuries and health issues.
  • Ethics and Transparency: Guiding a policy of permanent ethics and transparency, specified in constant communication channels to ensure that stakeholders have clear, accurate, complete, homogeneous, and simultaneous information.
  • Flexibility and Efficiency: Managing resources intelligently with a focus on activities that generate the most value. Achieving good results quickly and efficiently. Being willing to adapt to future trends and demands, always thinking and acting with customers in mind.

3. RELATIONSHIP WITH PARTNERS

Privacy
Quantal is committed to respecting privacy and security in the handling of personal data, as well as the rights of its holders.

Clients
All Quantal employees and administration, regardless of hierarchical level, should focus their actions on developing a trust relationship with consumers, focused on the best value proposition, to ensure customer satisfaction. In contact with customers, it is essential that employees perform their activities in coherence with Quantal’s commitments:

  • Earning the customer’s trust;
  • Treating customers with professionalism, respect, and loyalty;
  • Providing customers with excellent products;
  • Providing customers with the necessary information for an informed decision;
  • Respecting customer information privacy.

Our People
The standards in this manual must be accepted, understood, and practiced by all Quantal employees, regardless of where they develop their activity, their hierarchical position, or their specific functions and responsibilities. Quantal places high value on the professional and personal development of its employees, promoting their continuous training as an element that enhances their best performance and motivation. The selection, remuneration, and professional progression policies adopted are guided by merit criteria and reference practices:

  • Defense of Rights: Quantal observes the principles and values of national and international legislation on Human and Social Rights. Discriminatory behaviors based on sex, race, ethnicity, religious belief, political affiliation, or other are not admitted, promoting equal opportunities and ensuring integrity and dignity in the workplace.
  • Bribery or Corruption: Quantal condemns any acts in which compensations or benefits are offered or accepted that influence others’ behavior to obtain advantages for themselves or the company.
  • Health and Safety: Quantal provides a healthy, safe, pleasant work environment that promotes employee well-being and productivity.
  • Participation and Consultation: Quantal values and encourages employee participation, promoting effective communication, consultation, and sharing processes.
  • Value Creation: Quantal conducts its projects with a long-term value creation vision, respecting sustainability and corporate and environmental social responsibility principles.

Quantal believes that the diversity of its workers is one of the main factors for maintaining its success, permanence, and growth, seeking to recruit and retain efficient and talented people, continuously investing in their development and well-being. Quantal is committed to equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, sex, religion, beliefs, or nationality, and does not tolerate any discriminatory practices against any worker or job applicant. Career progression depends exclusively on individual performance, talent, commitment to group values, dedication, and involvement. Quantal’s business policy promotes employee development, valuing and recognizing people based on results achieved. The company’s Human Resources policy encourages group spirit, partnership in worker relations, teamwork, responsible leadership, and initiatives that can promote a differentiated organizational climate through quality of life improvement programs and clear and transparent communication. The company encourages respect and cooperation among all workers to create a favorable internal environment for business growth and group perpetuation.

4. EMPLOYEE CONDUCT STANDARDS

  • Duty of Training: Employees commit to updating their knowledge and skills. Quantal provides appropriate cognitive development opportunities.
  • Innovation and Initiative: To achieve collective goals, an individual committed and proactive attitude should be used, finding the most viable solutions for the organization.
  • Interpersonal Relationship: The relationship between all employees should be based on mutual respect, loyalty, cooperation, honesty, and clear communication, jointly seeking excellence in collective results.
  • Integrity and Loyalty: Using one’s position or Quantal’s image, name, or brand for personal gain, family, or third parties is prohibited. In performing their duties and in internal and external relationships, employees should adopt exemplary behavior, safeguarding the company’s prestige. Employees should apply this standard with special attention in their online relationships, always referring to the company with respect, loyalty, and common sense.
  • Responsibility: Employees should perform their duties responsibly and professionally, protecting the company’s assets through sensible and rational resource use.
  • Privileged Information and Information Abuse: Employees with access to privileged information are expressly prohibited from transmitting, using, or facilitating its use by third parties for personal gain.
  • Sustainability: Sustainability is seen as a shared responsibility by all employees.
  • Conflict of Interest: Employees should not intervene in decision-making processes involving organizations they collaborate with or have collaborated with or people they are or have been connected to by family or friendship ties.
  • Non-Competition: Employees should not engage in activities that compete with those developed by Quantal or its subsidiaries.
  • Equal Opportunities: Dignifying the person, not allowing discriminatory practices or those that undermine personal and professional integrity.
  • Promotion of the Non-Discrimination Principle: Promoting non-discrimination based on race, gender, religion, age, among others.
  • Child Exploitation: Prohibition of hiring minors.
  • Moral Harassment/Sexual Harassment: Intolerance of intimidation, discrimination, threats, and moral or sexual harassment of employees.
  • Drug, Narcotic, and Alcohol Consumption: Intolerance of drug, alcohol, narcotic, or other illicit substance use and consumption in the workplace.

5. PROCEDURE IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OR AWARE OF ANY HARASSMENT (OR OTHER) SITUATION AT WORK

What is Workplace Harassment?
Harassment is unwanted behavior (gesture, word, attitude, etc.) practiced with some degree of repetition and aimed at or having the effect of affecting the person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or destabilizing environment. Harassment is moral when it consists of offensive or humiliating verbal or physical attacks or more subtle acts, including physical and/or psychological violence, aiming to reduce the victim’s self-esteem and, ultimately, their detachment from the job. Harassment is sexual when the aforementioned unwanted behaviors of a verbal or physical nature have a sexual character (sexual invitations, sending sexually explicit messages, attempting embarrassing physical contact, blackmail for employment or career progression in exchange for sexual favors, obscene gestures, etc.).

6. COMPANY POLICY ON COMBATING WORKPLACE HARASSMENT

  1. The Company promotes good relationships, respect, mutual help, and cooperation among all its workers, clearly and absolutely prohibiting behaviors and acts that constitute moral or sexual harassment, which is inadmissible in a respectable and dignified work environment.
  2. Acts of intimidation, offense, or aggression committed by workers in the exercise of their functions or within the organization’s premises, whether against colleagues or people not directly connected to the Company (clients, suppliers, consumers, authorities, community members, etc.), will be punished according to internal regulations and applicable legislation.
  3. To prevent and combat potential harassment situations at work, the Company is obliged to constantly assess risks to identify possible psychosocial risks and understand the company’s reality, thus adopting appropriate measures, which may include defining an anti-harassment policy that ensures conflict management and leadership training, as well as workplace reform and the provision of a support system for potential harassment victims (e.g., creating counseling centers and formally defining reporting procedures).
  4. The Company is obliged to promote training actions and regularly distribute/disseminate information about the anti-harassment policy in workplaces, consequences, and sanctions it may imply, to all personnel of all professional categories, expressly stating that any acts of harassment in the workplace are prohibited and will not be tolerated.
  5. The Company expressly prohibits access to violent and pornographic sites and the inappropriate use of email to send messages with violent, aggressive, insulting, or sexual content.
  6. The Company prohibits the use, posting, and/or sharing of any calendars, magazines, literature, posters, or any materials with sexual content.

Specific examples of acts and behaviors that may be classified as workplace harassment

  1. All Workers, of all professional categories, commit to not adopting any of the behaviors listed in item 2 of this chapter considered as workplace harassment, and others that may be susceptible to such classification, also committing to report, under the terms of the following chapter, any situation they witness and/or are victims of.
  2. For legal purposes, workplace harassment is considered to be:
  • Moral Harassment:
    • Systematically devaluing the work of colleagues or subordinates;
    • Promoting the social isolation of colleagues or subordinates;
    • Ridiculing, directly or indirectly, a physical or psychological characteristic of colleagues or subordinates;
    • Repeatedly threatening dismissal;
    • Systematically setting impossible goals and objectives or setting unachievable deadlines;
    • Systematically assigning tasks that are strange or inappropriate to the professional category;
    • Not systematically assigning any tasks to the worker - lack of effective occupation;
    • Systematically appropriating ideas, proposals, projects, and works of colleagues or subordinates without identifying the author;
    • Disregarding, ignoring, or humiliating colleagues or workers, forcing their isolation from other colleagues and superiors;
    • Systematically withholding information necessary for the performance of other colleagues’ or subordinates’ duties or related to the functioning of employers, public or private entities, while providing this information to other workers;
    • Systematically spreading rumors and malicious comments or repeated criticisms about colleagues, subordinates, or superiors;
    • Systematically giving confusing and imprecise work instructions;
    • Systematically requesting urgent work without necessity;
    • Systematically criticizing colleagues, subordinates, or other superiors in public;
    • Systematically insinuating that the worker or colleague has mental or family problems;
    • Transferring the worker to another sector with the clear intention of promoting their isolation;
    • Systematically shouting to intimidate people;
    • Counting the number of times and the time the worker spends in the bathroom;
    • Frequently making offensive jokes about sex, race, sexual orientation or religion, physical disabilities, health problems, etc., of other colleagues or subordinates;
    • Systematically commenting on others’ personal lives;
    • Systematically creating objective stress situations to provoke the recipient’s loss of control.
  • Sexual Harassment:
    • Repeatedly sending unwanted cartoons, drawings, photographs, or Internet images of a sexual nature;
    • Making unwanted phone calls, sending letters, SMS, or emails of a sexual nature;
    • Repeatedly making suggestive remarks, jokes, or comments about appearance or sexual condition;
    • Promoting intentional and unsolicited physical contact, or excessive or unnecessary physical approaches;
    • Persistently inviting participation in social or recreational programs when the person has made it clear that the invitation is unwanted;
    • Presenting invitations and requests for sexual favors associated with promises of employment or improvement of working conditions, job stability, or career progression, which may be expressed directly or insinuated.
  1. The above enumeration is merely illustrative and not exhaustive, so other behaviors and practices may be considered workplace harassment. If an employee considers themselves a victim of any such constraint or is aware of someone who has experienced such a situation, they should immediately report it in writing to the Human Resources department and/or the Administration, immediately initiating the disciplinary process component, under the terms of art. 127, nº1, item I) of the labor code. The entity guarantees the confidentiality of all information transmitted that may motivate the disciplinary process, ensuring the protection of the victim at all stages of the disciplinary process, even if it requires suspending the accused employee, also ensuring the absence of reprisals against the complainant(s). In case of any problem, contact the Human Resources department: rh@quantal.pt.

Confidentiality
Quantal employees are obliged to protect the confidentiality of the information they have access to in the exercise of their functions, not being able to use it to obtain advantages for themselves or third parties.

Confidentiality of Employees’ Personal Data
Quantal employees must pay particular attention to complying with all legislation on the protection, use, and confidentiality of personal data. Information related to private life, performance evaluations, promotions, and salaries of employees must be kept confidential. Access to such information is reserved exclusively for authorized personnel. Thus, Quantal employees:

  • Should not collect information related to the personal life of other employees, except as required for human resources management or any other legitimate professional purposes, and only within the limits imposed by applicable laws;
  • Must ensure the right of access, verification, and correction of personal data, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations;
  • Should not disclose personal information to third parties, except in legally authorized exceptional cases.

Confidentiality and Protection of Group Assets, Documents, and Data
The company’s files, assets, technical data, and other confidential information are important resources that can be decisive in preserving Quantal’s results and competitive advantage. All of them are the company’s property and must be returned by the employee upon termination of their employment contract. The following points are of particular confidential importance:

  • Information related to the existence of Quantal projects and commercial agreements and their terms and conditions;
  • Financial and technical data of the Group;
  • Any other sensitive information, such as unit sales data, intellectual property rights, technology, and software or hardware used in the company’s regular work.
  • It is prohibited for any Quantal employee to disclose this information to third parties without prior authorization or to other Quantal employees who do not have access authorization to such information.
  • It is prohibited for any employee to use, directly or indirectly, for personal purposes, information obtained in the course of their professional activity. Any violation of this rule may result in legal action, under applicable labor, civil, or criminal law provisions.

All the above provisions also apply to information provided by our clients. The obligation to maintain confidentiality about this information extends to anyone whose professional contract has ended or who no longer has a contractual relationship with Quantal.

7. COMMERCIAL OFFERS

Quantal does not encourage the practice of giving or receiving commercial offers. Quantal employees should not accept, for their benefit, goods, services, or any advantages from Clients, Suppliers, Service Providers, or any other individual or collective entity that has, has had, or intends to have commercial relations with Quantal. However, if it becomes unfeasible or inadvisable not to accept or return it, the offer should become the company’s property, and the Employee should deliver it to Human Resources, who will forward it to the administration. The offer of goods to any external entity, made by a Quantal Employee, is only admissible if, cumulatively, it is made on behalf of the company, is related to its activity, and corresponds to the usual practices of the sector, and must be previously approved by the respective hierarchical superior.

8. ASSET PREVENTION

Quantal’s assets are for exclusive professional use, and their use for personal benefit or others is prohibited. It is the responsibility of all Quantal Employees to ensure the protection and conservation of the company’s physical, financial, and intellectual assets. Employees should behave according to safety standards, preventing accidents and not endangering the company’s assets. Employees should handle the company’s financial resources with great care, protecting them from loss, theft, or misuse. Employees cannot obtain advantages for themselves or third parties by using the

know-how and information related to Quantal’s business. The sale of Quantal’s fixed assets to company employees is not allowed. Exceptions must be approved by the Administration.

9. SUPPLIERS

  • Selection Responsibility: Quantal selects Service Providers and Suppliers based on clear and impartial criteria, with one of the selection criteria being compliance with declared standards.
  • Integrity: Quantal acts with loyalty and dedication in its relationships with business partners, establishing clear and objective communication with them, aiming to consolidate a long-term trust relationship.
  • Transparency: Quantal adopts procedures guided by principles of economic rationality and efficiency. Its business practice is transparent and fair.

10. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Quantal develops an active Social Responsibility policy and contributes to improving the structures in which it operates, with a strong concern for environmental, economic, and social well-being and the development of human knowledge. It is understood that constant dialogue with the various entities that make up the community is fundamental to the long-term success of the company’s activities, as the existence of these communication channels allows for easier identification of the main aspects to improve.

11. COMPETITORS

Cordiality and Mutual Respect: Quantal respects legal rules and market criteria, promoting fair and healthy competition. The relationship with Competitors follows rules of cordiality and mutual respect.

12. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Quantal follows a strict communication policy, described in standards of ethics, integrity, and transparency with external media, safeguarding confidentiality and preserving confidential information within the company’s interests. It acts to ensure confidentiality in accessing information, with full respect for applicable legal and regulatory standards, avoiding misunderstandings, exaggerations, and concealment of relevant information.

13. QUALITY, ENVIRONMENT, AND SAFETY

Quantal adopts and encourages the responsible use of natural resources and environmental preservation, promoting eco-efficient management that minimizes the environmental impacts of the company’s activities. Quantal monitors the effects of climate change, identifying necessary measures to adapt to ongoing transformations. It is important for us to be the best - to produce more and with quality, to meet the growing expectations of our customers, and to take responsibility for continuously improving the effectiveness of the quality management system. Customer focus, communication, pride in our brand, integrity and professionalism, teamwork, and social responsibility. We are always committed to complying with legal requirements and continuously improving our company! The safety of our employees is one of Quantal, S.A.'s main concerns. Compliance with safety rules appropriate to various workplaces is mandatory (consult the Internal Regulations for more information).

14. DISCLOSURE

This Manual is disseminated on Quantal’s internal network, as well as through other  means. Any doubts related to the interpretation or application of this Code of Conduct and Ethics Manual should be reported to the Human Resources department (rh@quantal.pt). We count on you to continue growing!