Political and Charitable Activities
Political activities must be conducted on your own time and using your own resources. Political contributions by corporations in federal elections, whether by direct or indirect use of corporate funds or resources, are unlawful. While the limitations on political contributions by corporations in state elections vary from state to state, it is the Company’s policy not to make any political contributions in such elections except with the prior approval of our Chief Financial Officer. While individual participation in the political process and in campaign contributions is proper and is encouraged by the Company, an employee’s participation and involvement must be at their own time and expense unless state law requires otherwise. Similarly, an employee’s contribution must not be made, or even appear to be made, with the Company’s funds, or be reimbursed from the Company’s funds, nor should the selection of a candidate or of a party be, or seem to be, coerced by the Company. Company employees are prohibited from using their positions to induce, coerce or in any way influence any person (including subordinates) to contribute time or money to any political party, to the campaign of any candidate for office or to any charitable activity.
We realize how important it is to contribute to the communities in which we operate. We support many initiatives and programs that benefit our communities and encourage you to be charitable and volunteer your time to worthwhile endeavors. However, you should not engage in any charitable activities as a representative of the Company unless previously approved by our General Counsel.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Harassment
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all our employees and will not tolerate any speech or conduct that is intended to, or has the effect of, discriminating against or harassing any qualified applicant or employee because of his or her race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment by anyone – managers, supervisors,co-workers, vendors or our customers. This policy extends to every phase of the employment process, including: recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfers, discipline and termination, layoffs, recalls, and Company-sponsored educational, social and recreational programs, as applicable. If you observe conduct that you believe is discriminatory or harassing, or if you feel you have been the victim of discrimination or harassment, you should notify the Vice President of Human Resources or our General Counsel immediately.
Not only do we forbid unlawful discrimination, we take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.