Our Commitment

The Independence Charter

Five structural commitments that define how The Separation Index operates — stated publicly so that workers, journalists, and the companies we track can hold us to them.

No payment changes what a company earns.

The Separation Index does not offer paid placement, sponsored scores, or any product that lets a company purchase a higher rating, a removed report, or a preferred position in search results. Companies that earn a qualifying rating may pay to license a badge, certification, or award recognizing that rating — but the fee buys display rights, not the rating itself. No payment of any kind alters a rating, a report, or what the data says. If a company's rating drops below a qualifying threshold, recognition tied to that rating is withdrawn regardless of any fee already paid. This is a structural rule with no exceptions. If that changes, we will say so publicly before the change takes effect.

Separation reports are not removed because a company complained.

An honest account of a separation experience — even a sharply negative one — is not grounds for removal. Companies may file a formal dispute only on four grounds: documented factual inaccuracy, a clear violation of community guidelines, no verifiable employment relationship between the reporter and the company, or mistaken identity. Every dispute is reviewed against the original submission. Complaint volume alone does not trigger action.

We do not build pay-to-respond products.

There is no subscription, program, or paid tier that gives a company privileged access to moderate, suppress, or respond to separation reports in a way not available to all companies. Company responses are permitted at no cost and are clearly labeled. We will not build a tiered system that disadvantages reports from unverified employees or displaces critical content.

All scoring methodology is public and will remain public.

The complete explanation of how Separation Scores are calculated — including weights, recency adjustments, and confidence thresholds — is published and will remain publicly accessible without restriction. We will not move methodology behind a paywall or obscure the rules that govern how companies are scored.

If this platform is acquired, user data is deleted first.

If The Separation Index is sold or transferred to new ownership, confirmed reporter email addresses will be made permanently unrecoverable before the transfer is completed. Individual identity records are not ours to transfer.

See also: How It Works · Dispute Process