SustainabilityCode of Conduct commentary
■ We respect human rights.
We respect each individual’s human rights and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, social status, family origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation, nor will we commit other violations of human rights. Such discrimination will not be tolerated.
We will be resolute in upholding human rights in everything we do and will not tolerate such discrimination in others. Ignorance and inaction do not constitute excuses for discrimination. We will make every endeavor to be fully aware of human rights issues and foster respect and equality for all.
We seek through our actions to uphold human rights, ensuring that our organization is well respected by society.
■ We comply with all laws and regulations.
We respect and comply with all applicable laws, treaties, government regulations and statutes, customs and social norms considered to be fair.
Violating laws or regulations, even when motivated by a misguided devotion to the organization, is unacceptable. We endeavor to understand all relevant laws and regulations prior to initiating any business, abide by their principles and ensure through our actions that we do not inadvertently violate those laws.
We also conform to socially accepted business practices, use common sense in our dealings, and are careful to check whether our commercial terms are in line with local requirements. Customs vary from country to country.
Therefore, in addition to understanding the laws and customs of our home territory, we also will become familiar with and respect the laws, customs and ethnicities of other territories in which we do business.
■ We act with fairness in our business dealings.
We treat customers, business partners and competitors fairly and with respect.
We do not engage in practices which treat customers differently without justification.
We do not use our position to secure an unfair advantage in dealings with business partners.
We do not take advantage of competitors through unethical behavior or illegal means.
We do not enter into any agreements or discussions with our competitors regarding restrictions on pricing, production or sales volumes, customers, sales territories, or other matters that impede fair competition.
■ We protect and respect intellectual property.
We are contributing to the establishment of a networked society by continuously creating new value and providing products and services on a global basis to meet customer needs. The intellectual property that results from our large investment in R&D is of great value to us.
We are fully aware that our intellectual property is a valuable asset and an essential management resource underpinning our business activities and the confidence our customers place in us. We will make every effort to obtain and maintain all necessary intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights and trademarks, and utilize them effectively in growing our business. We recognize that the knowledge and know-how held by each employee give us a competitive edge in our business activities.
We respect third-party intellectual property and utilize it only after having properly secured rights to its use.
■ We maintain confidentiality.
Appropriate handling of information is fundamental to our business activities. A careless mistake that results in information being leaked can lead to enormous damage and loss of reputation of the Fujitsu General Group. We must have a proper understanding of the rules for handling different types of information and thoroughly comply with those rules. In addition, we are conscious of the vital importance of data security in our daily work so as not to unintentionally leak confidential information or personal data.
[Handling confidential company information]
The company information we have access to in our daily work is considered confidential. We do not disclose such information to anyone outside the company without following established procedures, nor do we use it for purposes other than conducting the business of our organization.
[Handling customer or other third-party information]
Information from our customers or business partners must be handled and used appropriately in accordance with the terms and conditions defined and specified in each contract with them, including terms and conditions relating to the intended use, management and duration of confidentiality of such information. We therefore handle such third-party information appropriately at all times and ensure that we do not break our contractual obligations to preserve confidentiality.
[Handling personal data]
In gathering and keeping personal data for any purpose, we must handle, manage and use such personal data appropriately and in accordance with local laws.
■ We do not use our position in our organization for personal gain.
We do not use our position, role, or corporate information, or act in any way contrary to our corporate obligations, to seek or gain benefits for ourselves, our relatives, our friends or other third parties.
We do not utilize, sell, lease or dispose of company software, hardware, other facilities or assets for any purpose other than transacting or undertaking the business of the organization.
We do not trade stocks or other securities using undisclosed “insider” information gathered from our organization or third parties.