A Steadfast Commitment to Ethical Business Behavior
Ethics and integrity guide every aspect of our business. We have a strong governance system in place that shapes our Company’s strategy, policies and culture. We recognize that strong governance is key to maintaining the trust and support of our stakeholders.
As a demonstration of our commitment to ethical business practices, we have joined the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary commitment to align company operations and strategies with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. We have also adopted the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles to promote gender equality and female empowerment in the workplace and community. We will continue to embed these initiatives and principles into the strategy, culture and operations of American Tower, and engage in collaborative projects which advance the broader objectives of the United Nations, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Integrity and Compliance Program
At the heart of our ethics and integrity program is our comprehensive Code of Ethics and Business Conduct Policy (Code of Conduct). Our Code of Conduct establishes behavioral expectations and disciplinary protocols that apply to all employees throughout the organization, as well as our Board of Directors. All employees are introduced to the Code of Conduct upon hire and receive specific training on key aspects, such as anti-harassment and anti-discrimination, confidentiality, insider trading and information security. All employees and Board members must review and certify to understanding and complying with the Code of Conduct annually.
Furthermore, given our global reach, we offer three different U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act classes for our international employees to raise awareness of U.S. and local laws and provide examples, case studies and other resources to participants.
Our commitment to ethical and high-quality operations extends beyond our employees to our value chain, including our vendors, suppliers and other business partners. Our Vendor Code of Conduct aligns closely with our Code of Conduct and Global Human Rights Statement. All vendors are required to fully comply with our Vendor Code of Conduct, which includes guidelines on diversity; payment of fair wages; prohibition of forced and child labor; and compliance with nondiscrimination, anti-harassment, and health and safety regulations. Vendors are carefully vetted by regional teams before contracting and are overseen by American Tower quality assurance supervisors. In addition, in connection with our Sanctions Compliance Policy, the legal teams throughout the markets review customers, vendors and
service providers of American Tower through managed software to confirm there are no Office of Foreign Assets Control, Bureau of Industry and Standards or other sanctions applicable to such third parties.
Read Our Code of Conduct
Read Our Vendor Code of Conduct
Read Our Global Human Rights Statement
Demonstrating a Culture of Accountability
We have a zero-tolerance policy for bribery and corruption. Our ability to uphold our commitment to doing the right thing relies on employees feeling empowered and comfortable to report potential policy violations. In cases of potential misconduct, individuals are encouraged to contact our Ethics Committee at ethics.committee@americantower.com or Human Resources department directly. In addition, employees and other stakeholders can report a violation through our anonymous and confidential third-party hotline.
Stakeholder Engagement
We value the relationships we have built with all our stakeholders, including employees, stockholders, customers, suppliers, landlords, local communities, trade organizations, non-governmental organizations and governing authorities, and recognize their feedback and engagement are critical to our success. We regularly engage our key stakeholder groups through a variety of platforms to better inform our strategy and ultimately drive the management of our business and material topics.
For additional information, visit our Public Policy page.
Embedding Sustainability in Our Business
Learn more about the many ways we champion sustainability and drive progress against our priorities.
Download Our 2023 Sustainability Executive Report
Social Efforts
Environment Efforts
