INTRODUCTION
Salmon’s Code of Conduct is an ethical statement on how we should act and the behavior employees must demonstrate while working for Salmon. It is the binding rules that we all must adhere to as team members.
The Code of Conduct is a guide for putting our values into practice. It establishes a clear standard of conduct to ensure we always make the right choice.
It is also rooted in our core values as a company, as expressed in our mission statement.
MISSION STATEMENT
Vision:
To drive industrial growth and prosperity for the common good.
Mission:
To provide excellent service in the distribution of industrial raw materials, with innovative solutions, strong partnerships, and ambition.
Values:
Ambition: to always do more, and better;
Trust: mutual trust is fundamental to success;
People: personalized and respectful relationships with colleagues and partners;
Ethics: doing the right thing, being loyal, and following the law;
Responsible management: sustainability and success, without compromising the future.
COMMITMENT
Salmon is committed to the highest ethical standards, from the simplest everyday relationships to the most complex partnerships. This includes not only abiding the law, but also being a loyal partner whose word can be trusted. We ensure that all Salmon employees, from the recruitment process to the day they leave the company, are aware of, receive training in, and adhere to our Code of Conduct.
Employees are expected to comply with our principles, take responsibility for their own behavior and be a faithful representative of Salmon’s services.
If an employee is unsure how to interpret the Code of Conduct or has questions about whether certain behaviors meet the required standards, they should seek guidance from the General Manager.
All employees are expected to immediately report actual or potential violations of the Code, whether acted by themselves or colleagues.
1. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS
General Laws and Regulations
Salmon maintains the highest standards in the way it manages its activities, by respecting all applicable national laws and international treaties, including human rights, labor, financial, and environmental laws.
In their professional activity, each Salmon employee must demonstrate integrity and comply with applicable laws and regulations at all times.
Failure to comply with the law can result in heavy fines, damage to our business and reputation, and, in serious cases, imprisonment.
Business Laws and Regulations
Competition law applies to all aspects of Salmon’s business activities: negotiations with customers and suppliers, contacts with competitors, marketing, and sales promotion.
No agreements or even discussions with competitors regarding price fixing or other transaction conditions, or the sharing of customers or business territories, are permitted.
It is the responsibility of each Salmon employee to respect competition law, as violations of the rules can pose serious risks to the company, its employees, and its shareholders.
2. RESPECT FOR PEOPLE
Safety and Health in the Workplace
Employee safety is a priority at Salmon, and safety will never be compromised in the name of efficiency. Every employee has the right to work in safe and healthy conditions and has a duty to ensure this through responsible behavior in the workplace. Each employee must perform their professional activities in compliance with the applicable safety, hygiene, and health rules in their workplace and while traveling, and participate in appropriate training provided in these areas.
Prevention of Discrimination
Discrimination is any behavior, decision, or practice that treats a person or group unequally, unfairly, or prejudicially based on personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, nationality and socioeconomic status, which should not be used as a criterion for differentiation.
Examples: Making offensive or derogatory comments based on race or sexual orientation; refusing to hire someone because of their nationality or religion.
Salmon is committed to ensuring that the workplace is a place of respect for others, both internally and externally, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, beliefs, or sexual orientation. Salmon expects all employees to adhere to this principle and will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.
Salmon will provide all employees with equal opportunities for recognition and career advancement, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, beliefs, or sexual orientation.
3. RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Salmon strives to consider environmental concerns in its activities. This includes not only office management decisions but also our warehouse operations and the resulting impacts on our customers. Salmon is also committed to introducing and promoting products that can have a positive environmental impact.
4. PREVENTING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
A conflict of interest is understood as a conflict between professional and personal interests, harming the organizational or collective interest. In this situation, several issues (professional, financial, family, political, or personal) can influence people’s judgment when exercising their actions.
Examples: Selecting suppliers who offer personal advantages instead of basing the choice on objective criteria; disclosing or using privileged information, etc. Personal advantages are considered direct or indirect benefits that a person may obtain for themselves or for third parties, such as family, friends, or companies with which they have ties, from a decision or position they hold.
Preventing conflicts of interest revolves around relationships with customers, suppliers, and/or competitors.
Each employee must commit to avoiding any situation that involves a conflict between their personal interests and those of Salmon or its clients. Any employee who may potentially be in a conflict of interest, or who witnesses a conflict of interest with others, must inform the General Manager of this situation or report it through the anonymous channel on the Employee Portal.
5. PROTECTION OF SALMON’S ACTIVITIES
Each employee must protect and maintain the confidentiality of any strategic, financial, technical, or commercial data or documents that are not public and whose disclosure to third parties could be harmful to Salmon’s interests.
Confidential information may not be disclosed, shared, or used for personal, commercial, or competitive purposes, even after termination of employment with the company.
Access to internal data and documents must be limited to authorized personnel and strictly for professional purposes.
It is the employee’s duty to immediately recognize and report any failures or errors that could harm the company.
Use of Social Media
Any communication made on professional social media regarding events, trade shows, training sessions, or other activities promoted by Salmon must be published on Salmon’s social media pages, under Salmon’s editorial control. Employees may subsequently forward the same posts through their personal pages.
Salmon adheres to ethical standards, which prohibit posting confidential information, offensive or discriminatory comments, or comments that could compromise the company’s image. All communication must reflect professionalism, clarity, and consistency with the company’s mission.
6. BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
Salmon does not give or receive, directly or indirectly, bribes or other improper advantages for commercial or financial gain. No Salmon staff member, including shareholders, may offer or receive any gift or payment that is, or could be construed as, a bribe in connection with Salmon’s work.
Any request or offer of a bribe must be immediately rejected and reported to the Chief Executive Officer.
It must always be clear, internally and when dealing with customers, suppliers, other partners, or government officials, that Salmon has a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and will not (directly or indirectly) offer, pay, seek, or accept any payment, gift or favor to improperly influence a business outcome.
Any payment of appreciation, recognition, or gratuity will be considered illegal and will never be accepted or tolerated by Salmon.
7. GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY
This policy must be applied in good faith to ensure that gifts and hospitality are never considered excessive, confer undue advantages, or create a real or apparent conflict of interest.
Any gift or hospitality received exceeding €50 must be immediately reported to the General Manager; no gift exceeding €50 may be offered by a Salmon team member without the General Manager’s prior approval.
Employees, in the performance of their duties, must not:
- Discuss, offer, or receive any gifts or hospitality activities involving elected officials or their family members;
- Offer or accept any gifts or hospitality, or any other favor intended or likely to influence business decisions;
- Offer or accept any gifts of cash or cash equivalents, such as lottery tickets, vouchers, shares, or options;
- Offer or accept any hospitality involving an overnight stay or travel abroad, except in the case of work-related travel authorized by the General Manager.
8. MONEY LAUNDERING
To protect Salmon’s reputation and avoid criminal liability, it is important not to associate oneself – even innocently – with the criminal activities of others to avoid being implicated in money laundering.
Money laundering involves concealing assets, capital, or products to give them the appearance of legitimacy, thus attempting to disguise the criminal origin of the capital, goods, or products. Examples of potential money laundering situations include: fictitious accounting entries; false invoice declarations; dubious customer transfers, or payments made using dubious cheques/cash.
Employees must immediately notify the General Manager if they have any suspicions of actual or potential money laundering activities.
Employees should not simply assume that third-party tracking has already been performed: failure to regularly verify or update tracking can put Salmon and its personnel at risk.
9. TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY OF INFORMATION
Transparency and integrity of information are essential not only for Salmon to comply with its legal and ethical obligations, but also for the operational success and proper execution of Salmon’s internal processes.
All employees must perform their duties honestly and transparently.
10. TRAINING
All Salmon team members will receive training on the Code of Conduct upon joining Salmon and every two years thereafter.
11. INFORMED CONSENT
All employees are informed of the Code of Conduct and sign a form accepting it.