| IV. | Reporting, Accountability and Enforcement |
The Company promotes ethical behavior at all times and encourages Covered Parties to talk to supervisors, managers and other appropriate personnel, including officers, the General Counsel, outside counsel for the Company and the Board or the relevant committee thereof, when in doubt about the best course of action in a particular situation.
Covered Parties should promptly report suspected violations of laws, rules, regulations or the Code or any other unethical behavior by any director, officer, employee or anyone purporting to be acting on the Company’s behalf to appropriate personnel, including officers, the General Counsel, outside counsel for the Company and the Board or the relevant committee thereof.
Reports may be made anonymously. If requested, confidentiality will be maintained, subject to applicable law, regulations and legal proceedings.
The Audit Committee of the Board or other appropriate officer or body shall investigate and determine, or shall designate appropriate persons to investigate and determine, the legitimacy of such reports. The Audit Committee of the Board or other appropriate officer or body will then determine the appropriate disciplinary action. Such disciplinary action includes, but is not limited to, reprimand, termination with cause, and possible civil and criminal prosecution.
To encourage employees to report any and all violations, the Company will not tolerate retaliation for reports made in good faith. Retaliation or retribution against any Covered Party for a report made in good faith of any suspected violation of laws, rules, regulations or this Code is cause for appropriate disciplinary action.
Before an employee, or an immediate family member of any such employee, engages in any activity that would be otherwise prohibited by the Code, he or she is strongly encouraged to obtain a written waiver from the Board or other appropriate officer or body.
Before a director or executive officer, or an immediate family member of a director or executive officer, engages in any activity that would be otherwise prohibited by the Code, he or she must obtain a written waiver from the disinterested directors of the Board. Such waiver must then be disclosed to the Company’s shareholders, along with the reasons for granting the waiver.
This Code is a statement of certain fundamental principles, policies and procedures that govern the Company’s Covered Parties in the conduct of the Company’s business. It is not intended to and does not create any rights in any employee, customer, client, visitor, supplier, competitor, shareholder or any other person or entity. It is the Company’s belief that the policy is robust and covers most conceivable situations.