employees to foster good business conduct, and a high level of integrity. Our policies and procedures cover all major areas of professional conduct, including employment practices, conflicts of interest, intellectual property and the protection of confidential information, and require strict adherence to laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of our business. Annually, all employees with computer access are required to acknowledge that they are familiar with the Code of Entegrity and agree to uphold Entergy’s core values and follow Entergy’s policies.
Employees are required to report any conduct that they believe in good faith to be an actual or apparent violation of Entergy’s policies. Retaliation against any employee who in good faith seeks advice, raises a concern, reports misconduct, or provides information in an investigation is strictly prohibited. Our Internal Audit department has procedures to receive, retain and treat complaints received regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters and to allow for confidential and anonymous submissions by employees with concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Our directors, officers and employees are required to comply with a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”). The Code is intended to focus individuals on areas of ethical risk, help them recognize and deal with ethical issues, provide mechanisms to report unethical conduct, and foster a culture of honesty and accountability. The Code covers a wide range of professional conduct, including conflicts of interest, unfair or unethical use of corporate opportunities, strict protection of confidential information, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and oversight of ethics and compliance by employees of the Company. The Code emphasizes our expectation that directors act ethically and with integrity and to clarify the process for reporting suspected violations of the Code.
Key Corporate Governance Documents
Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Board committee charters form the framework of our corporate governance. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the charters of our Audit, Corporate Governance and Personnel Committees, our Code of Entegrity and the Code, including any amendments or waivers, are available at http://www.entergy.com/investor_relations/corporate_governance.aspx and in print to any shareholder who requests a copy from the Secretary of the Company.
Review and Approval of Related Party Transactions
Our Board of Directors has adopted a written Related Party Transaction Approval Policy that applies:
• | To any transaction or series of transactions in which the Company or a subsidiary is a participant; |
• | When the amount involved exceeds $120,000; and |
• | When a Related Party (a director or executive officer of the Company, any nominee for director, any shareholder owning an excess of 5% of the total equity of the Company and any immediate family member of any such person) has a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). |
The policy is administered by the Corporate Governance Committee. The committee will consider relevant facts and circumstance in determining whether or not to approve or ratify such a transaction, and will approve or ratify only those transactions that are, in the committee’s judgment, appropriate or desirable under the circumstances. The Corporate Governance Committee has determined that certain types of transactions do not create or involve a direct or indirect material interest, including (i) compensation and related party transactions involving a director or an executive officer solely resulting from service as a director or employment with the Company so long as the compensation is approved by the Board of Directors (or an appropriate committee); (ii) transactions involving public utility services at rates or charges fixed in conformity with law or governmental authority; or (iii) all business relationships between the Company and a Related Party made in the ordinary course of business on terms and conditions generally available in the marketplace an in accordance with applicable law. To the Company’s knowledge, since January 1, 2019, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has participated in any Related Party transaction.