Maximus has made a clear commitment to our Human Rights Principles to respect and support human rights. We support workers’ rights, including the right to form or join a labor union. Driven by our strong governance structure, commitment to human rights, and transparent business practices, Maximus retained an independent third party to perform an audit to assess the company’s legal compliance with employees’ rights concerning freedom of association, including unionization, within our U.S. workplaces. The results are available below.
The freedom of association audit was performed by the law firm Vedder Price. Vedder Price was chosen after a robust procurement process based on the team’s expert qualifications and depth of knowledge in the relevant areas of law and the firm’s methodology.
Vedder Price conducted a thorough assessment of Maximus’ compliance with U.S. laws and regulations related to freedom of association and adherence to our commitments outlined in our Human Rights Principles, both in policy and in practice. After reviewing hundreds of documents and interviewing several individuals, the team of experts at Vedder Price concluded that “Maximus fulfills its commitments to applicable U.S. law and human rights standards regarding [freedom of association]… the company protects employees’ [freedom of association] in all material respects.”
The freedom of association audit was widely supported across Maximus and was overseen by our Board of Directors. The Board was provided with regular status reports and the final findings. Further, management and senior leadership were unwavering in their commitment to the efforts, making themselves and their teams available to speak with the audit team and providing documentation and artifacts as requested. Finally, all employees were notified and invited to participate in the audit and were given the opportunity to do so anonymously, if preferred. While the names and titles of those involved are redacted from the final public report, there was participation and involvement from employees at all levels throughout the organization.
At Maximus, we maintain an active and ongoing dialogue with our employees. Our positive annual employee engagement scores demonstrate that we listen to our employees to understand their concerns and make investments that matter most to our employees. We seek open lines of communication between our leaders and employees to enable and foster the communication and collaboration that is imperative in maintaining our culture and enhancing our employee value proposition. Enhancements to our employee value proposition are driven by employee feedback and the continued effort to be market competitive in the compensation and benefits we provide and stay a long-term employer of choice.