Company
Values and conduct
Ethical Conduct and Our Values
Ethical business conduct is a core element of our strategy for growth and success and incorporated in our company values: We Aim High, We Own It, and We Do it Right.
High expectations
We expect each employee to learn and comply with all company policies, laws and the guiding ethical principles outlined in our Code of Business Conduct & Ethics. Similarly, we have high business partner expectations and them to adopt ethical and conscientious business practices. Our robust Governance and Risk management capabilities form the core of our operations.
Emphasis on Ethics & Employee Awareness
We have regular employee communication on ethics through quarterly newsletters covering topics such as updates on respectful conduct, lessons learned, ethical behaviours and compliance with relevant company policies and procedures. We help ensure that our employees understand their obligation for ethical conduct – for example, our Code of Business Conduct & Ethics is available in several places on our Intranet and on this website, with links to our policy portal, helpful guidance on avoiding potential conflicts of interest, and an email contact for further questions and information on our SpeakUp! ethics hotline, which allows employees to confidentially report unethical conduct 24-7 in any of 30 languages.
We thrive on a culture of high performance, which includes always acting with integrity and embodying ethical business practices. All employees complete several mandatory compliance trainings on ethical business conduct and our Code each year. We also continuously scrutinize our internal practices through internal and external assessments and have procedures for taking immediate action when we identify conduct that falls below our high standard.
If an employee or business partner believes that we have failed to live up to our commitments, they can report their concern through SpeakUp!, our anonymous ethics reporting hotline and database.
SpeakUp! is available 24-hours per day in 30 different languages. We will never allow retaliation for good faith reports filed through SpeakUp! or any other reporting channel.
A good reputation is essential in the global marketplace. Our customers are increasingly concerned with the ethical standards of their suppliers and partners, and when companies decide to begin or expand a business relationship, the reputation of a company is an important factor.
Similarly, we expect our business partners to adopt ethical and conscientious business practices, and we hold them accountable if they fail to live up to their obligations. We expect business partners to adhere to all applicable laws, regulations and industry standards, as well as ethical requirements such as fair labor practices, employee safety and sustainable practices outlined in our Business Partner Code of Conduct & Ethics. We continuously monitor the conduct of our third parties for any potential bribery, corruption, environmental, labor or other regulatory compliance issues, taking appropriate action where necessary.
We have a formal process to evaluate suppliers, vendors and other business partners for unethical conduct, corruption, sanctions and other risks. We screen these third parties both through our payment system as well as through questionnaires and a separate continuous-monitoring platform that provides real-time alerts to any risks or adverse media that may develop.
We are committed responsible, transparent and ethical practices throughout our supply chain. Our suppliers are required to agree to our Business Partner Code of Conduct. We promote sustainable sourcing practices through the ethical conduct of our suppliers is assessed through Conflict Minerals and Modern Slavery/Forced Labor due diligence processes, which, for in-scope suppliers, includes education, assessments and training.
Nouryon’s compliance program and Code are essential elements of our day-to-day business operations to ensure the safety of our employees.
Inclusion is a core element of our culture and necessary to support our diverse, global workforce and business success. We believe that having a commitment from all of our employees to maintain our inclusive culture is essential for a respectful and safe workplace environment.
Our Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Approach helps us achieve strategic priorities, such as fostering innovation and attracting and retaining top talent. We have also identified key learning institutions and universities around the world with which we collaborate and connect for internships, talent acquisition (including diverse talent), and research, in addition to learning and development opportunities for our current employees.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework is a fundamental element of our ‘Commitment and contribution to a Sustainable Future,’ in which we strive to ENGAGE with our people, communities and society to drive progress together. Practical in nature and based on volunteerism, engagement, and corporate giving, it allows us to support community engagement initiatives.
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