Employee Feedback and Social Dialogue

Overview

Ribbon Communications (Nasdaq: RBBN) delivers communications software, IP and optical networking solutions to service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors globally. We engage deeply with our customers, helping them modernize their networks for improved competitive positioning and business outcomes in today's smart, always-on and data-hungry world. Our innovative, end-to-end solutions portfolio delivers unparalleled scale, performance, and agility, including core to edge software-centric solutions, cloud-native offers, leading-edge security and analytics tools, along with IP and optical networking solutions for 5G and broadband internet.  We maintain a keen focus on our commitments to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters, offering an annual Sustainability Report to our stakeholders. To learn more about Ribbon, please visit rbbn.com  

Ribbon believes in and promotes healthy and ongoing dialogue with its employees and/or their representatives for the purpose of achieving common goals such as improving working conditions for employees, making Ribbon more competitive as a business and an employer, and improving the communities in which we operate.

Ribbon’s managers are on the front lines with our employees each day and are responsible for being a reliable source of comprehensive and timely information for our employees and ensuring our Open Door Policy creates real opportunities for open, two-way dialogue between management and employees. 

Ribbon respects employees’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Ribbon Actively Promotes Employee Feedback and Social Dialogue

Ribbon actively facilitates and promotes employee feedback and social dialogue in, among others, the following ways:

• Annual Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Ribbon conducts annual employee satisfaction surveys (“ESAT”) each year. With ever increasing participation rates, Ribbon employees are given an opportunity to share their opinions with the Company on a wide array of topics ranging from compensation and workload to career advancement and the integrity of leadership. The ESAT results are shared with the employees and the executive leadership team (consisting of the Chief Executive Officer and his direct reports), and the team works with Human Resources and the relevant departments to take corrective action as needed. The high employee participation rate and management’s attention to the results demonstrates a high commitment of employees and management to social dialogue and the benefits thereof.
• Quarterly Executive Town Hall Sessions: Each quarter, the Chief Executive Officer of Ribbon conducts global town hall sessions with all employees. During these live sessions, Ribbon’s Chief Executive Officer presents detailed information to employees regarding a variety of topics including the state of the business, Ribbon’s financial results from the prior quarter, compensation updates, ESAT results and resulting actions, community upliftment projects, and other information of interest to employees.  During each town hall, employees are given the opportunity to ask questions of and make comments to the Chief Executive Officer for his response. Ribbon’s town hall sessions encourage employee feedback and foster social dialogue on issues of common interest.
• Employee Representatives: Ribbon engages in healthy social dialogue with employee representatives in France, Germany, Israel, Mexico and Spain. Social dialogue with our employee representatives fosters the improvement of employee terms and conditions of employment, helps ensure safe working conditions for employees, supports the Company’s legal compliance with laws and regulations (including labor, employment, and data protection laws), helps Ribbon remain competitive, cultivates trust and transparency between employees and management, and enhances  the Company’s understanding of and response to issues that are important to employees including environmental and social issues.
• Collective Agreements. Collective agreements (company-level and industry level) cover Ribbon employees in multiple countries. Such agreements are the result of social dialogue between the stakeholders.
  • Germany:  Company-level works council agreements between Ribbon and the works council (consisting of elected employees) regarding various subjects including working hours, data protection, and compensation.
  • France, Italy, Spain: Industry level collective labor agreements negotiated and signed between industry level trade unions and employer organizations regulating issues such as compensation, benefits, hours of work, and termination payments.
  • Israel: Company-level collective agreements between the Company and an industry level union on many issues affecting the employment relationship including compensation, benefits, rules of conduct, and prevention of harassment.
• Employee Reporting: Employees are required by Ribbon’s Code of Conduct to voice their concerns, observations and opinions with the Company regarding compliance with the Code, Company policies, laws and regulations.  Ribbon provides Speak Up and anti-retaliation training to all employees to generate dialogue on key topics of concern to employees. The Company’s emphasis on employee reporting helps ensure Ribbon and its employees act ethically and with integrity, which in turn helps to protect employees, the Company, the environment, and the communities in which we operate from any harm caused by unethical and unlawful conduct. Ribbon’s Legal Guidance and Reporting Policy provides many avenues for employees to share their opinions and report their concerns with their managers, Human Resources, the Legal team and/or the Audit Committee of Ribbon Communications Inc. or directly to the Board of Directors. One such reporting avenue is our third-party operated employee ethics (i.e., whistleblower) helpline which is available to employees to raise concerns 24/7/365 
• Employee Resource Groups: At Ribbon there are employee-led, organizationally supported, non-exclusive groups of employees that meet to learn about one another’s experiences and perspectives. These groups also provide a unique opportunity for employees to collectively identify opportunities for improvement within Ribbon and/or outside the Company in the communities we operate in for review with their managers and/or Ribbon executive leadership.
• Employee Assistance Program: All Ribbon employees have access to a third-party, confidential Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”) at no cost to them. Ribbon’s EAP offers employees a wide range of benefits including support, resources (e.g., financial planning, legal matters, childcare), and professional counselling for personal and work-related challenges.  Employees who feel supported are more likely to provide feedback and engage at work, at home, and in their communities.

Ribbon Requires Suppliers to Support Employee Feedback & Social Dialogue

Ribbon’s suppliers are expected to conduct their business in an ethical and compliant manner. Ribbon’s Supplier Code of Conduct is a binding commitment in Ribbon’s procurement contracts and all suppliers are obliged to uphold its provisions, including those relating to freedom of association and collective bargaining rights of their workforce.

Frameworks and Standards

• ILO Convention No. 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize)
• ILO Convention No. 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining)

Alignment with UN SDGs

Our ethical practices align with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

• By promoting fair labor practices and providing a safe, inclusive work environment, we contribute to sustainable economic growth.

SDG 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

• Our focus on ethical behavior, anti-corruption measures, and strong institutions support peaceful and inclusive societies.

Governance  

Ribbon’s Senior Vice President (SVP) of Human Resources is accountable for our employee feedback and social dialogue policies and programs. The SVP of Human Resources is a member of Ribbon’s Executive Management Team, and reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

Conclusion

Our commitment to social dialogue techniques is unwavering. By aligning with relevant UN SDGs, we ensure our operations are transparent, accountable, and sustainable. We continuously monitor and report on our performance, striving for excellence in all we do.

References

1. Ribbon Supplier Code: Ribbon Supplier Code of Conduct
2. Ribbon Code of Conduct: Ribbon Code of Conduct

V2.1 December 2025