Our Commitments to Our Company
By working for Tracking Innovations, we have made a commitment to promote our Company’s
interests to the best of our ability at all times. We do so by safeguarding its
assets and using them in an appropriate manner. We also take care to ensure
that we always put our Company’s interests first and to avoid any activities
that may tarnish our Company’s reputation for integrity.
Ensuring Information Security
One of our
Company’s most valuable assets is its confidential information. Our Company has
adopted a variety of policies and procedures to help us keep this information
secure. It is important that we follow the guidelines these policies and
procedures set forth, both on and off Company property, and during and after
working hours.
Those of us
with access to this information—such as information about work processes,
project procedures, and corporate strategies and plans—must protect it from
disclosure. For example, we must exercise caution when discussing sensitive
Company information in public places and in open areas at Tracking Innovations.
We must also handle electronic or paper files cautiously, and should never
leave them unattended or in plain sight of unauthorized persons. We must keep
confidential information private, and may only share it with those fellow associates
who have a business need to know it. We may not share confidential information
with outside parties unless we have first obtained prior written approval from
a director-level manager. In addition, we may only acquire, use, access, copy,
modify or alter confidential information for legitimate work purposes, and only
if we have obtained written authorization from a director-level manager.
Confidential
information also refers to “intellectual property,” which includes inventions,
discoveries, developments, improvements and works conceived or developed in
association with our work for Tracking Innovations. Our Company retains
exclusive ownership over any and all intellectual property. This is true
regardless of whether it was conceived during working hours or on Company
premises. We have an obligation to assist Tracking Innovations in obtaining and
securing any rights relating to such intellectual property, regardless of
whether we were involved in creating or overseeing its development. Our
obligation to protect Tracking Innovations’ confidential information continues
even after our employment ends. We must therefore return all Company-owned
documents and files at that time, and we may not use Company confidential
information in any future activities. When we begin our employment at Tracking
Innovations, each of us is required to sign the Invention Confidential
Information and Non-Competition agreement that evidences our commitment to this
principle.
Safeguarding Physical Assets
Just as we work
to ensure the security of our Company’s information, we must also protect our
Company’s physical property. This includes the facilities, equipment, supplies
and funds our Company provides us to perform our job duties. We protect these
assets as we would our own, keeping them safe from harm, theft, loss or misuse.
Limited personal use of our Company’s equipment and supplies, such as printing
out a short document on a work printer or making a local personal telephone
call, is permissible. However, make sure this type of use does not interfere
with your own or others’ work responsibilities.
Properly Using Technology
Tracking
Innovations’ technology and information systems are critical to our success.
Everyone with access to Company-issued computers, PDAs, cell phones and other
electronic devices is responsible for using them properly. In particular, we
may not use these electronic resources to access restricted information or to
perform a prohibited or illegal act. For example, Tracking Innovations’
technology and information systems must never be used to access, store or
communicate offensive, inappropriate or illegal material. These policies apply
at all times, including after working hours and when traveling on Company
business.
Occasional
personal use of our Company’s computers, telephones, email and voicemail
systems and the Internet is permitted. However, our use must be of minimal
duration and frequency. In addition, it cannot cause undue burden on the
system, create additional expense to the Company or interfere with our own or
others’ work responsibilities. All information contained on these systems,
including email, voicemail and personal files, is Company property. Tracking
Innovations reserves the right to monitor, access, retrieve, read and disclose
all messages created, sent, received or stored our Company’s systems, to the
extent permitted by local law.
If you see
anyone using our technology or information systems in an inappropriate manner,
report the situation to your manager or EthicsPoint immediately.
Maintaining Accurate Records
Our commitment to integrity requires that we do our part to ensure the accuracy of
our Company’s records. All of the information we record must be accurate,
timely, complete, fair and understandable. This applies to all of the
information we enter in our corporate records, including those records that
form the basis for our financial reports, such as time reports, expense
reports, change orders and sales reports. When required, we must also submit
appropriate documentation with these records.
Those of us with
financial recordkeeping responsibilities are required to verify any financial
results for which we are responsible. In addition, we may never create or
maintain “off the books” accounts, such as slush fund accounts. If you notice
any accounting or auditing irregularities, you should report them immediately
to our CIO or EthicsPoint. You may also send any concerns by mail to our Board
of Directors at Tracking Innovations, Inc., 433 Plaza Real, Suite 275, Boca
Raton, FL 33432.
To maintain
Company records properly, we must retain and destroy them in accordance with
our internal control procedures, legal requirements and government regulations.
If you are notified that you have records that are relevant to an actual or
pending subpoena, lawsuit, or government or internal investigation or audit, do
not conceal, alter, delete or destroy any records covered by this notification,
whether paper or electronic. In addition, do not conceal, alter, delete or
destroy any records in anticipation of any such event. For additional
information about our records storage and destruction procedures, see our
Records Retention Policy.
During the
course of our employment, we may be asked to participate in an investigation or
provide information in connection with an audit. It is critical that we fully
cooperate with any such request. We may never seek to improperly influence the
audit or investigation process, or encourage anyone else to do so. Be sure to
submit any subpoenas or written requests for information received from a third
party to our CIO before taking or promising any action.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest arises when a relationship or interest interferes or
appears to interfere with our ability to make sound business decisions on
behalf of our Company. We need to avoid any situation that creates even the
appearance of bias. If you face a situation in which a conflict of interest has
arisen or might arise, you must immediately disclose it to our CIO. This is
particularly true if, in this situation, you have influence over decisions
relating to purchases, contracts or leases. It is important to remember that
while having a conflict of interest is not a violation of our Code, failing to
disclose it is.
Conflicts of
interest can arise in a variety of different ways and are difficult to list
comprehensively. However, the following describe some common conflict of
interest situations:
- You (or your relative) maintain a substantial interest in a customer, vendor or business partner
that exceeds five percent of a privately-held company or ten percent of a
publicly-traded company
- You (or your relative) directly or indirectly work on behalf of or serve as a director for
an actual or potential customer, vendor, business partner or competitor
- You supervise the job performance of, or determine compensation for, an associate who is a
relative or close friend
- You take outside employment that unreasonably interferes with your ability to perform
your job duties for Tracking Innovations A “relative” for purposes of our Code
is any person who is related to you by blood or marriage, or anyone who is a
member of your household.
In order to
avoid conflicts of interest, you may not take outside employment with a
customer or competitor of Tracking Innovations, regardless of whether the work
is for pay. In addition, you may not conduct any form of outside employment
that competes or interferes with the sales of Tracking Innovations’ products or
services.
At all times,
you must put our Company’s interests first and not take advantage of any actual
or potential business opportunity that you learn about or develop through your
employment and in which our Company might be interested. In addition, do not
share information about this opportunity with another person so that he or she
can compete with our Company. You may only pursue such an opportunity (or share
it with another person) after our Company has evaluated it and has decided not
to act on it.
Identifying
conflicts of interest can be difficult. If you believe you may be involved in
an actual or perceived conflict of interest, or plan to engage in an activity,
transaction or relationship that you think may result in one, contact our CIO
or EthicsPoint immediately for guidance.
Giving and Receiving Gifts and Entertainment
Giving and receiving business gifts and entertainment are legitimate business
practices that are designed to build corporate goodwill. Although exchanging
such courtesies is widely accepted, we must exercise caution when doing so. Be
particularly careful not to offer or accept gifts or entertainment if they are
lavish or given with the intent to influence the recipient’s business actions
or decisions. Likewise, do not offer or accept gifts or entertainment that
could create an appearance of impropriety. You must receive advance approval
from our CIO before giving a courtesy to or receiving or soliciting one from a
customer.
Gifts commonly
include items of value, goods and services, as well as meals or entertainment
when the person giving the gift does not attend. Gifts are permissible when
they are:
- Nominal in value;
- Infrequent;
- In good taste;
- Unsolicited; and
- Not cash or cash equivalents.
Entertainment
includes events where both the person offering and the person accepting attend,
such as meals, sporting events or concerts. We may accept entertainment when it
is:
- Irregular or infrequent;
- Unsolicited;
- In a setting that is appropriate for a business; and
- Reasonable in value.
If you are
offered a gift or entertainment that does not fall within these guidelines, you
must obtain approval from our CIO before accepting it.
It is important
to distinguish between exchanging gifts and entertainment with commercial
contacts and doing so with government contacts. Strict rules apply when you
offer or give gifts or entertainment to government customers, employees and
officials. For information about these rules, see the “Following Anti-Bribery
Laws” and “Exchanging Gifts and Entertainment with Government Employees”
sections of our Code.
Avoiding Insider Trading
During the
course of our employment, we are likely to come to know information about our
customers, vendors and other business partners that is not known to the public.
Generally speaking, we may not buy or sell a company’s securities if the
information we possess about that company qualifies as material, nonpublic
information. This activity is known as “insider trading” and is a violation of
our Code and securities laws. To determine whether you possess material,
nonpublic information about a company, assume that information is “material” if
it could motivate a reasonable investor to buy, sell or hold a security and
assume it is “nonpublic” if it has not yet been disclosed to the public.
Insider trading
laws also prohibit tipping. “Tipping” generally occurs when an individual
provides material, nonpublic information to relatives, friends or fellow
associates who then trade on the basis of that information. Keep in mind that,
even if you do not make a trade based on the information you provide, you may
be liable for violating insider trading laws.
The
consequences for engaging in insider trading are very serious and may include
possible civil and/or criminal liability for those involved. If you have
questions about insider trading laws, contact our CIO or EthicsPoint.
Ensuring Accurate Communications
Tracking
Innovations needs to speak with one voice about our Company and its business.
Our Company has therefore designated certain corporate representatives to speak
to the public. In the event the media or an investment analyst contacts you
requesting information about any facet of our Company’s operations or business
relationships, and you have not been specifically designated to respond, refer
the inquiry to our CIO.