NZ innovation is committed to high ethical standards in all our activities and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. NZ innovation's integrity is one of our most important assets and NZ innovation expects all employees to safeguard and protect that integrity. All NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation officers, managers, employees, and any other contractor, consultant or person acting in the name of NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation policies and procedures, including the NZ innovation Employee Handbook and core competencies. This Code does not replace existing policies and procedures.
NZ innovation encourages its employees to provide information that may assist NZ innovation in investigating and correcting any ethical or legal violations that may occur. NZ innovation also has a strict non-retaliation policy. No form of retaliation will be tolerated for reports made in good-faith.
If NZ innovation 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@nzinnovation.com) or via the NZ innovation 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. NZ innovation may have an obligation to investigate and, in some situations, report to appropriate governmental authorities whenever NZ innovation 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). NZ innovation may not discharge, demote, or otherwise discriminate against employees as reprisal for making such reports.
NZ innovation'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 NZ innovation's Corporate Management for this purpose regarding the implementation and effectiveness of this Code.
During employment with NZ innovation, employees may have access to intellectual property and confidential information relating to NZ innovation, NZ innovation's employees, and its customers. All employees must protect NZ innovation and its customers' proprietary and confidential information from improper disclosure. NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation employees sign a "Trade Secrets, Proprietary Information, and Inventions Agreement" which, along with various laws, gives NZ innovation ownership of work developed by employees in the scope of their employment. NZ innovation employees are obligated to cooperate with NZ innovation to obtain intellectual property rights as may be necessary to protect NZ innovation's rights in the work product.
NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation'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.
NZ innovation is committed to maintaining accurate and timely financial records. NZ innovation's record keeping procedures are essential to ensure that all costs are properly charged and allocated. It is critical to NZ innovation, 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.
NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation must comply with this policy. Further, NZ innovation employees may not perform work while impaired due to drugs or alcohol, and must comply with the NZ innovation drug free workplace policy. NZ innovation is a weapons-free work site. Please refer to the Employee Responsibilities section of the Employee Handbook for additional details.
NZ innovation 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.
NZ innovation 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. NZ innovation also makes reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Please reference the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.
NZ innovation discourages employees from engaging in any activity that is, or may appear to be, a conflict of interest with the employee's duties at NZ innovation. Every employee is expected to avoid circumstances where personal or family interests actually or potentially conflict with the interests of NZ innovation. 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 NZ innovation. Employees elected or appointed to public office, or to external boards with organizations related to or affiliated with NZ innovation 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. NZ innovation does not tolerate bribery or corruption. NZ innovation employees may never accept or solicit bribes, improper payments, gifts or gratuities from or to any NZ innovation customer or supplier. NZ innovation employees may not on behalf of NZ innovation 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. NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation employees are called upon to make statements about competitors and their products or about NZ innovation products and services, they should do their utmost to make sure these statements are current and accurate.
NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation'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 NZ innovation'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.
NZ innovation 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 NZ innovation Export Compliance Manual. Any additional questions regarding export control may be directed to the Contracts and Legal Services department for clarification.