Human Rights at Okta

As part of our aim to align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we implement and regularly update a number of internal and external policies and guidelines that outline or reference our respect for human rights. These include, among others, the Okta Code of Conduct; Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement; Policy Prohibiting Harassment, Discrimination, Bullying, and Retaliation; Okta Health & Safety internal policy;¹ inclusive and equitably accessible global benefits (including mental health, support for caregivers, family forming, and parental leave); equitable approach to wages² and pay equity³ ; Okta Anti-Corruption Policy; Travel & Expense, and Gifts & Entertainment Policy; Okta Events Code of Conduct; Okta Partner Code of Conduct; Okta’s Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement; Okta for Good Anti-Discrimination Policy, Okta Privacy Policy, Okta Acceptable Use Policy, and Okta's Responsible AI Principles.

Okta’s ESG and human rights efforts, led by the company’s ESG and Sustainability team in partnership with the ESG Committee, are overseen by our executive leadership and reviewed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors, as per the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews Okta’s ESG programs and public disclosures, annually and more frequently as needed.

We provide regular reporting to our own employees, on our ESG website, ESG Fact Sheet, and State of Inclusion Report, and to relevant third parties, including rating and reporting services such as CDP climate change survey, EcoVadis sustainability assessment, and Great Places to Work certification. 

¹ Okta Health & Safety internal policy: Okta is committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees, contractors, and visitors, and you play a critical role in helping us meet this objective. We require our employees, contractors, and others to comply with health and safety laws and Okta’s policies, and to report all work-related injuries or illnesses as well as any hazardous or unsafe conditions. We do not tolerate violence in the workplace, which may include physical intimidation, direct or implied threats to physically harm others, bullying, stalking, or violent outbursts. In addition, Okta supports the health and safety of all employees at Okta through the development and management of our centralized incident reporting and case management system, ergonomics program, emergency preparedness and response program, and H&S training initiatives.

² In terms of living wage, with Okta’s workforce being primarily professional given the nature of our software products, we do not have an active strategy or intent to prepare a living wage policy at this time. We conduct benchmarks of our jobs using third-party surveys to assess whether we are paying competitively in the respective location/role.  We keep apprised of minimum wage requirements at the local level to track our compliance.

³ Re pay equity, at Okta, we are committed to the principles of pay equity, meaning that employees are paid the same when they perform the same or similar job duties as others taking into account factors such as job level, job family, tenure, and geography. In 2023, we conducted a pay equity analysis of employees in the ten countries with our largest employee populations, including the United States, to ensure we are aligned with pay equity principles. As a result of this global pay analysis, we made appropriate pay adjustments where needed. We view pay equity as a continuous journey, and therefore continue to refine our methodology.

In 2021, Okta worked with a third-party human rights consultancy to complete Okta’s first corporate-wide, human rights impact assessment (HRIA). The objective was to identify human rights impacts most salient to employees, customers, suppliers, and communities directly and indirectly impacted by Okta’s business operations, products and services, and relationships. We interviewed internal and external stakeholders to assess Okta’s business against internationally recognized human rights standards and principles, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 

Based on key findings from this first, corporate-wide assessment, we have integrated human rights considerations into several areas of our business, including in our global location expansion process. We will continue to explore ways to embed human rights into our policies and practices.

As part of our commitment to human rights due diligence, we identify and assess our most salient human rights issues. Okta’s salient human rights issues are those that have the potential to be highly impacted through the company’s activities or business relationships. Identifying these issues will help Okta proactively define what human rights means for the company and prioritize resources where it matters most. Informed by assessment that we have carried out, we have prioritized these salient issues:

• Right to privacy. Privacy is recognized as a fundamental right. Data privacy and protection is especially critical when it comes to protecting the most sensitive information available today. Okta’s Privacy Policy details how we collect, share, and otherwise process information relating to personal data. We firmly believe that customer data belongs to the customer, that customer data should be processed only as needed for the services we provide, and that we must take appropriate measures to keep that data safe and secure. 
• Responsible product use and accessible products: As a global technology solutions provider, we have a responsibility not only to ensure that our customers use Okta solutions responsibly and ethically, but also to develop solutions that are accessible, especially to those who are the most under-resourced and underserved in our communities. This involves making sure our customers understand and meet our expectations on acceptable use, and building digital equity in communities that have had fewer opportunities in the past to learn about and benefit from Okta solutions. 
• Non-discrimination and diversity inclusion and belonging. As a fast-growing company with an increasingly diverse and global workforce, prohibiting discrimination and creating a safe and inclusive work environment—as outlined in the Okta Code of Conduct—are critical to our continued success and innovation. Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) at Okta is central to our corporate philosophy and operations and guides everything we do, from how we hire, promote, and reward employees to the processes and policies that impact the work we do. Okta employees have the opportunity to take a Workplace Diversity course, which focuses on diversity principles and preventing discrimination and harassment. Our DIB vision is to collectively nurture a culture of equity, inclusion, and belonging in driving Okta’s values and purpose to meet the needs of Okta employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve. We are taking steps to reduce our environmental footprint and to respect the right to health and clean air, particularly as climate change disproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income communities. For example, we purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) that also have a social benefit like supporting public schools, and community-based solar.  

At Okta, we are committed to providing remedy in cases where we may have caused or contributed to an adverse human rights impact. Consistent with our core values, we encourage you to speak up if you experience or witness any potential violation of the Code or other Okta policies. We will not take or tolerate any retaliatory action against any person who makes a good faith complaint or report of improper conduct, assists in an investigation, or exercises rights under applicable laws. If you witness or are subject to any acts that appear to be retaliatory, you should immediately report this through the channels listed in this section.

To report a potential violation of law, the Code or any other Okta policy, you can:

• Submit a report through Okta’s Ethics Reporting Line at www.okta.ethicspoint.com or by phone at +1-844-231-3575 in US/Canada (international phone numbers can be accessed via Okta’s Ethics Reporting Line website by selecting the country in which You are located via the drop-down menu). Where permitted by law, reports through Okta’s Ethics Reporting Line can be made anonymously. When reporting, you should provide as much information as possible so that we can fully investigate your report. 
• Email Okta’s Ethics & Compliance team at [email protected].