Ethical guidelines at Scana Industrier ASA
Scana’s ethical guidelines provide a general description of the ethical principles which the company must abide by when managing its business, of the way it should treat its partners, and of the behaviour it can expect from its employees.
These ethical guidelines must support the group and its employees in their work and in the decisions they make, whilst ensuring that all activities are carried out in an ethically correct manner and in keeping with the standards established by Scana.
Scope
These guidelines are general provisions which apply to all employees at Scana Industrier ASA and the group’s subsidiaries.
All of Scana’s business activities must comply with the same ethical requirements, regardless of where in the world they take place. Employees must also ensure that these activities are performed in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable in all the locations where the group is represented.
If there is any doubt as to whether an activity is lawful or ethically sound, advice must be sought from line managers or group management before commencing the activity.
Responsibility
The group CEO is responsible for ensuring that ethical guidelines are established, implemented and observed.
All managers are responsible for ensuring that their employees familiarise themselves with these guidelines, as well as for making every effort to ensure and verify that these guidelines are observed.
All employees must at all times assess their actions in light of these guidelines. If there is any doubt as to whether an activity is lawful or ethically correct employees must refrain from acting and raise the matter with their line managers.
Employees are responsible for highlighting any matters that they become aware of through their work that do not comply with Scana’s ethical guidelines.
Breaches of the ethical guidelines will not be accepted and may lead to internal measures being taken, dismissal or legal action.
Reporting non-compliance with the ethical guidelines
Scana expects all its employees to actively support the company’s ethical guidelines with regard to colleagues, partners and society in general.
Employees are expected to report any breach of the ethical guidelines, in the same way as they are expected to report any breach of criminal provisions, statutory decrees or bans, or other stipulated instructions or guidelines.
As a general rule, employees must raise these matters with their manager. If this is not appropriate, they must contact other managers or group management.
Discrimination or harassment against anyone who has raised ethical matters with managers or the HR department will be regarded as a breach of these ethical guidelines.
Working environment, equal opportunity and personal behaviour
Equality, openness and tolerance must characterise our working environment. Behaviour must be based on the respect for others and other cultures and customs must also be respected.
The Scana group shall be characterised by equal opportunity and fair treatment.
Scana rejects harassment or discrimination on the grounds of gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social class, disability, sexual orientation, civil status, age or political views.
Scana does not allow intoxicating substances in the workplace. This means that you must not be under the influence of any intoxicating substance whilst in the workplace. Limited quantities of alcohol may be served as part of an event and for entertainment purposes, provided that this is not consumed while operating machinery, or driving, or in other potentially hazardous situations.
Conflicts of interest, integrity and impartiality
No attempt must be made by anyone to gain advantage for themselves or others in a way which is inappropriate or may harm Scana’s reputation and interests in any other way.
Bribes, gifts, benefits and corruption
No unlawful or illegal gifts of money or other inappropriate benefits must be offered to anyone with a view to achieving a commercial advantage.
Gifts or other services of a personal nature must not be accepted, if such would undermine the recipient’s integrity or give this impression, to the detriment of the person concerned or the company. Any gifts must be non-physical assets.
Transparency must be exercised when receiving and presenting gifts and other benefits.
Trips, breaks and/or courses offered by invitation from a supplier must be approved by managers. Stringent requirements shall be applied in terms of their professional content and benefits. Such trips shall usually be paid for by Scana.
Relationship with the employer
Employees must not seek to enrich themselves through the company’s physical or non-physical assets, such as shares, special expertise, methods, concepts or ideas.
Relationship with business contacts
Employees shall not take any action that could lead them into a relationship with the group’s customers, suppliers or other group contacts which may prevent impartial conduct. Suppliers shall be treated objectively and fairly. Scana employees shall not abuse their position to gain special benefits through their relations with Scana’s business contacts. Scana’s employees shall not cause or contribute to a breach of competition rules or display any other behaviour that contravenes applicable competition legislation.
Impartiality
If an employee believes that personal interests may affect any decision on a matter that he/she is responsible for, or that others may consider this as likely, this shall be communicated to his/her manager. The employee in question shall inform the manager about the actual and possible source of prejudice, such as ownership interests, family relationships, close friendship, and not least business deals and relationships.
Confidential information
If employees, during their employment, become aware of any business secrets or information of a confidential nature, they must not disclose this information to any third party without Scana’s consent or use this information for any purpose other than carrying out their tasks at Scana.
Insider trading
It is not permitted to be involved in, or give advice on, trading shares in Scana Industrier ASA or other listed companies using information not in the public domain, to which an employee has had access through his/her work for Scana and which, if made public, could influence the price of these securities.
Scana has established rules for the company’s main insider traders and guidelines for all employees wishing to trade securities through the company’s insider trading function.
Media enquiries
Scana’s reputation is affected by its ability to communicate in a coherent and professional manner with external players. Scana shall always endeavour to act with the maximum transparency possible and to be honest and helpful in its dealings with external players.
In order to ensure coherent communication with external players, general queries concerning the company and its employees and enquiries from the media should be referred to the company manager or group manager.
The environment
Scana must operate its business without causing any harm to people or the environment and without losing any physical assets. The group’s initiatives to reduce pollution and protect the internal and external environment must be in line with the requirements and expectations of society.
Scana shall typically continue to work to improve HSE performance in the local environment in which the company operates, and in dealing with its suppliers.
This document is approved by the board of Scana Industrier ASA, 28 April 2008.
