Note from the Board
You, the people of our company, are what make us great. In each of us lie the integrity and ethics that mold the character of Simulint. Two of our five founding principles convey our commitment to ethical business practices and social responsibility. “Maintaining a confidential relationship with our clients” and “adhering to the strictest of social and business ethics” are engrained in our culture.
Our clients often put their own reputation in our hands as a trusted advisor. This trust must not be compromised. Beyond this obligation to our clients, it is our responsibility to abide by all local laws and where questionable, use our best judgment or seek the advice of others, in arriving at the “right” decision.
It is not sufficient to simply work within the law or contractual obligations. We must subject ourselves to our collective conscience. Our Code of Ethics is the guideline for our behavior to which we must all adhere. It is only a guideline however and our clients and the board hold all of you to a higher standard.
Be well and work judiciously, honestly, and admirably.
The Simulint Board of Directors
Introduction
Simulint’s purpose for this Code of Ethics (Code) is to establish a culture of openness, trust, and integrity in its business practices. Effective ethics is a team effort involving the participation and support of every Simulint employee, contractor, and director, collectively our personnel. All personnel must familiarize themselves with the ethics guidelines that follow this introduction.
We are committed to protecting clients, employees, partners, vendors, and the company from illegal or damaging actions by individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly. When Simulint is required to address issues, we will do so proactively and use correct judgment.
We will not tolerate any wrongdoing or impropriety at any time. Simulint will take the appropriate measures to act quickly in correcting the issue if the ethical code is broken. Any infractions of the Code will not be tolerated.
“Always do right; this will gratify some and astonish the rest.”
The Code is a set of rules and guidelines used to demonstrate our responsibility to all related parties and include the following however, naturally extend to good judgment.
- Compliance with laws, local and other, rules, and regulations.
- Conflicts of interest whether political, competitive, or self-promoting.
- Respect for others and their environment.
- Truthful disclosure of the transfer of information as permissible by law, rules, and regulations.
- Social responsibility to the extent reasonable and financially feasible.
- Preservation of natural resources and our environment.
- Preservation of corporate assets and intellectual property.
- Reporting of unethical behavior without consequence.
Compliance
At Simulint, we are committed to providing high-quality services and solutions while adhering to the highest ethical standards. To that end, we are all required to review, accept, and adhere to our Code. Exceptions may be granted, or provisions made only where conflicts with local laws exist and must be jointly approved by executive management and in certain cases, our Board of Directors.
We must all be responsible for our behavior and comply with any laws and regulations that govern our society and company. Furthermore, we are competent enough to make appropriate decisions, or know when we cannot, and engage other, appropriate parties for assistance when needed.
When in doubt, ask.
There are many laws and regulations within only a specific field. As our business spans not only industries but countries with different political systems, it remains our responsibility to engage the proper personnel to understand what we may or may not do. When any doubt arises as to whether your actions are legal or ethical, contact your manager or appropriate personnel within the organization. If your concerns are not addressed, Legal is always available as a last resort if you feel your situation warrants it.
Managers at every level are required to enforce our Code and must lead by example. They must ensure that their staff and colleagues abide by the Code and act when they witness or suspect unethical conduct.
Conflicts of Interest
Simulint believes that motivating employees within ethical boundaries with what matters most to them will minimize the temptation to seek personal interests or personally profit from unethical activity.
If your actions are personally benefitting you, your family members, or other relationships when these actions relate to business conducted by our company, it is likely that a conflict of interest exists.
Employees are forbidden to engage in business opportunities for personal gain or the gain of others, when derived from the use of Simulint assets, time, intellectual property, position, or other resources unless explicitly authorized.
Some circumstances may arise that can be easily identified as a conflict or potential conflict of interest. Those should naturally be avoided; however, consequential issues typically surface from those situations that tend to be ambiguous. Other business opportunities, investments, or employment can often lead to conflicts of interest. Serious thought should be given to any business conducted outside the company and your manager or appropriate Simulint personnel should be consulted to determine if a conflict of interest may exist or if such activity is condoned by Simulint.
Simulint maintains its own core values however it will not support any political activity with the use of corporate funds or resources. Furthermore, you may not take a political position, support a political party, or endorse a politician on behalf of Simulint.
While Simulint doesn’t prohibit other employment, it must not conflict with the interests of Simulint, negatively impact your job performance, or jeopardize Simulint’s reputation. Should you desire supplemental employment, it is always best to discuss this with Talent Management, Legal, or your manager.
Whether you are a recipient or the donor of a gift, entertainment, or other benefit, your action must be lawful and not impair your judgment in your duties at Simulint. Furthermore, any of these actions that might be construed as inappropriate by a third party, even when within the law, should be avoided.
Bribes, other illegal payments, and extortion are strictly prohibited activities and may not be used to obtain new business, retain existing business, or provide personal gain to an individual.
Respect
Simulint believes that respect is a pillar of our motivation and the lack of it results in low morale and poor productivity. Some respect may be earned, but other types of respect must be given, specifically as it pertains to human rights.
Simulint agrees with and supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights put forth by the United Nations. Additionally, Simulint will provide a safe and comfortable workplace in which all employees must respect the space of others and their personal property. Such respect extends to all other relationships beyond the workplace when representing Simulint.
We must refrain from interfering with the human rights of others and celebrate our differences.
You shall not discriminate based on age, race, gender, color, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, religion, political preference, nationality, or ethnicity. We must accept the diversity within our company and beyond. You are in fact encouraged to celebrate this diversity with your colleagues, become more culturally aware, and expand your knowledge.
Simulint will not tolerate any physical, spoken, or written act of violence, harassment, intimidation, extortion, or the use of vulgarity or degrading comments towards any other person.
Social Responsibility
As our Board of Directors mention in the “Note from the Board”, we hold ourselves to a higher standard, above what is required of us. Our company believes passionately in serving our clients, but also in contributing to our community. We all share the same planet and do not wish harm or misfortune to befall anyone. We help when and where we can, even if our contributions are not recognized. This is perhaps the greatest contribution of all.
“We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Simulint believes in supporting education and an equal opportunity for all. We contribute to education reform and refinement while remaining politically neutral. We support fights against our common non-discriminatory enemies such as cancer and rally to promote awareness. We genuinely care, not only about our employees, clients, and partners, but about people.
Our services and solutions should never be provided in a socially or ethically detrimental manner. We should always be conscious of the impact our behavior has on others and our community.
Protecting the Environment
We live in a very challenging and interesting time. Global warming, over-population, depletion of natural resources—they all weigh on our minds. At the same time, we are developing technologies that can potentially aid in solving these very same global issues. At Simulint, we believe that by helping companies operate efficiently, we can conserve our time, our wealth, and our world’s resources.
Not only do we advise our clients on operational efficiency, but we also use underlying intelligent networking solutions that increase security, improve data access, and reduce the need for a centralized workforce. As Simulint continues to innovate, we do so with our natural resources in mind and applaud our employees, partners, and clients who embrace a better future with us.
Protecting Corporate Assets
The code of respect that guides us in how we treat others and their property extends to our corporate assets. Corporate assets generally include physical assets and intellectual property. Both are critical to Simulint’s business and must be protected.
Physical assets include any item capitalized or expensed through Simulint funding. Any asset, physical or intellectual, which remains in your possession during your tenure with Simulint is your responsibility and should remain in your possession. Any intellectual property such as proprietary frameworks, software code, designs, or patentable material must not be disclosed to any external party or beyond acceptable internal boundaries without proper authorization. You should engage your manager or Legal should you ever have any doubt as to what may or may not be disclosed.
In additional to actively protecting our assets, we must also use care when accessing them. Passwords, keys, badges, etc. should always be used in ways that won’t compromise assets.
Should you sever ties with Simulint, all assets remain the property of Simulint and may not be used for personal or competitive means without the express written consent of Simulint. All Simulint property, digital and physical, must be returned prior to your departure.
The foregoing also applies to our clients, and we must vigorously protect their assets as if our own. You may not disclose any client information to any third party without written authorization from the client or unless mandated by an authorized government agency with jurisdiction.
Communication
Simulint’s communication systems include but are not limited to phones, electronic messaging, social media, web sites, and blogs. The use of these systems is governed by the Technology Acceptable Use Policy which all employees are required to review and accept in writing. The same practices should also be extended to any client system.
Appropriate etiquette must be used when communicating with your colleagues and external parties. Any authorized information provided to the public must be true and accurate. New information must be approved before released to the public whether provided digitally, through published materials, press releases, conference, or general announcement. At no time may confidential information be distributed (leaked) to third parties.
Any financial reporting to an authorized agency shall be fair, accurate, and delivered in a professional manner.
Any violation of any part this Code should be communicated to your manager, Revenue Management, Talent Management, or Legal without fear of retribution. It is expected that you uphold the Code and be courageous in reporting when it is violated, irrespective of the offending party.