Smart Card Solutions is committed to high ethical standards in all our activities and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Smart Card Solutions's integrity is one of our most important assets and Smart Card Solutions expects all employees to safeguard and protect that integrity. All Smart Card Solutions employees must conduct business in an ethical and legal manner whether dealing with customers, vendors, distributors, or each other. In order to promote an ethical culture and a commitment to compliance with the law, this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code") is designed to help employees understand their responsibilities to uphold the highest standards of business.
All Smart Card Solutions officers, managers, employees, and any other contractor, consultant or person acting in the name of Smart Card Solutions and its sister companies are expected to comply with our ethical obligations. The following standards of conduct will be enforced at all organizational levels. Any employee who violates, or fails to report a violation of these standards will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including separation. Acts constituting criminal conduct may also subject the perpetrator to fines and imprisonment.
This Code supplements other Smart Card Solutions policies and procedures, including the Smart Card Solutions Employee Handbook and core competencies. This Code does not replace existing policies and procedures.
Smart Card Solutions encourages its employees to provide information that may assist Smart Card Solutions in investigating and correcting any ethical or legal violations that may occur. Smart Card Solutions also has a strict non-retaliation policy. No form of retaliation will be tolerated for reports made in good-faith.
If Smart Card Solutions employees are aware of a possible violation of this Code or principles, policies, or any other legal or regulatory requirements they must notify their supervisor (if the supervisor is not involved), Human Resources, or Corporate Management. This notification may be done in person, by phone, via email (to admin@smartcardsolutions.com) or via the Smart Card Solutions website (contact us section). All reports are confidential and information will be shared on a need to know basis. Reports can also be made anonymously in compliance with local law. Smart Card Solutions may have an obligation to investigate and, in some situations, report to appropriate governmental authorities whenever Smart Card Solutions has reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a 1) violation of criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations; 2) violation of the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3729-3733); or 3) a violation of U.S. export control regulations.
Employees are protected by law under whistleblower protection provisions if they report gross mismanagement, gross waste, public safety issues, abuse of authority, or violation of law in the implementation or use of stimulus funds pursuant to section 1553 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub.L. 111-5). Smart Card Solutions may not discharge, demote, or otherwise discriminate against employees as reprisal for making such reports.
Smart Card Solutions's Human Resources Organization has been designated with responsibility for overseeing and monitoring compliance with this Code. The Human Resources Department will make periodic reports to Smart Card Solutions's Corporate Management for this purpose regarding the implementation and effectiveness of this Code.
During employment with Smart Card Solutions, employees may have access to intellectual property and confidential information relating to Smart Card Solutions, Smart Card Solutions's employees, and its customers. All employees must protect Smart Card Solutions and its customers' proprietary and confidential information from improper disclosure. Smart Card Solutions employees must never accept confidential information from another person or company, or sign a confidentiality agreement in favor of someone else, without proper internal authorization.
All Smart Card Solutions employees sign a "Trade Secrets, Proprietary Information, and Inventions Agreement" which, along with various laws, gives Smart Card Solutions ownership of work developed by employees in the scope of their employment. Smart Card Solutions employees are obligated to cooperate with Smart Card Solutions to obtain intellectual property rights as may be necessary to protect Smart Card Solutions's rights in the work product.
Smart Card Solutions requires all software, data, images, or other third party-owned materials installed on its computer equipment and mobile devices to be properly licensed. To ensure the compliance of all employees with Smart Card Solutions's copyright policy, all obligations imposed by the vendors of software, data, images, or other third party-owned materials and by law must be adhered to at all times.
Smart Card Solutions is committed to maintaining accurate and timely financial records. Smart Card Solutions's record keeping procedures are essential to ensure that all costs are properly charged and allocated. It is critical to Smart Card Solutions, that all financial and non- financial data be accurate, complete and valid in all material respects.
Every employee is expected to complete their electronic time card promptly and accurately, in accordance with the time charging guidelines. Similarly all check requests, travel expenses and other costs must be accurately coded to the proper expense accounts.
Smart Card Solutions is committed to providing a safe and productive work environment that is free from all forms of sexual or other illegal harassment, violence, or illegal discrimination. All employees and non-employees in a business relationship with Smart Card Solutions must comply with this policy. Further, Smart Card Solutions employees may not perform work while impaired due to drugs or alcohol, and must comply with the Smart Card Solutions drug free workplace policy. Smart Card Solutions is a weapons-free work site. Please refer to the Employee Responsibilities section of the Employee Handbook for additional details.
Smart Card Solutions prohibits the use of forced or involuntary labor, including all forms of child labor, human trafficking, and slavery. The Company is committed to preventing these practices in its supply chain and it expects suppliers to do the same.
Smart Card Solutions complies with Equal Employment Opportunity laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in treatment or employment. Smart Card Solutions also makes reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Please reference the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.
Smart Card Solutions discourages employees from engaging in any activity that is, or may appear to be, a conflict of interest with the employee's duties at Smart Card Solutions. Every employee is expected to avoid circumstances where personal or family interests actually or potentially conflict with the interests of Smart Card Solutions. Employees must declare in writing to Human Resources any hires of relatives or close associates, in addition to any financial interests employee or employee's relatives or close associates have in any competitors, customers, or suppliers to Smart Card Solutions. Employees elected or appointed to public office, or to external boards with organizations related to or affiliated with Smart Card Solutions competitors, customers, suppliers, or partners must also disclose these positions to Human Resources.
All dealings with customers and potential customers must be legal, fair, and open. Smart Card Solutions does not tolerate bribery or corruption. Smart Card Solutions employees may never accept or solicit bribes, improper payments, gifts or gratuities from or to any Smart Card Solutions customer or supplier. Smart Card Solutions employees may not on behalf of Smart Card Solutions give or solicit a gift, entertainment, meals, political contributions, charitable donations, or other gratuity of any kind, nor may they accept a gift, entertainment, meals, or other gratuity from a customer, supplier, vendor representative or business partner greater than $20.00 market value without Corporate Management approval. Smart Card Solutions employees may not give a public official anything of value: 1) with the intent to influence any official act; 2) to influence the official to commit or aid in fraud; nor 3) to induce the official to act in violation of their official duties.
Whenever Smart Card Solutions employees are called upon to make statements about competitors and their products or about Smart Card Solutions products and services, they should do their utmost to make sure these statements are current and accurate.
Smart Card Solutions believes in fair and open competition and requires strict adherence to all applicable Antitrust or Competition laws worldwide. All employees must, at all times, comply with Antitrust or Competition laws and Smart Card Solutions's antitrust and competition policies, including any regional policies that apply to particular businesses. Employees are not to seek proprietary competitor information either directly, or from others, which may have resulted from a breach of confidentiality or lapse of integrity. Business relationships with Smart Card Solutions's customers, suppliers, and competitors must comply with all applicable laws, including U.S. antitrust laws. Any questions regarding Antitrust Laws may be directed to the Contracts and Legal Services department for clarification.
As a general rule, agreements and/or arrangements among competitors regarding (among other things) prices, trading conditions, projected sales for any specific products or services, revenues and expenses, production schedules, inventories or sharing markets violate antitrust laws. The exchange of competitive or proprietary information must also be avoided. These guidelines also apply to informal contacts with competitors, including those at trade shows or meetings of professional organizations.
Smart Card Solutions is committed to promoting business while complying with all applicable U.S. export control laws and regulations that guide the transfer, export, sale, or release of any product including hardware, software, data, or technology from the United States. Guidance on compliance with U.S. export control regulations is available in the Smart Card Solutions Export Compliance Manual. Any additional questions regarding export control may be directed to the Contracts and Legal Services department for clarification.