Hill-Rom Global Code of Conduct

II. Fellow Employees
As a global company, we live and work in many different
countries. No matter where we do business, we all work
together to develop and deliver superior products to
customers and patients around the world. There are
thousands of us working together to achieve this. We
may come from a wide range of cultures and we may
have different perspectives, but our diversity is a
fundamental strength.
Hill-Rom Global Code of Conduct 20
November 2011
Employment Practices
Anti-Discrimination
We hire and promote our employees based solely on job-related
qualifications. We do not make employment decisions on the basis
of race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation,
gender identity and expression, marital status, citizenship, disability,
veteran status or any other legally protected factor, in accordance
with local laws.
Anti-Harassment
Our workplace must be an environment that is safe and inspiring,
where each of us can work free from harassment. Harassment may
be physical, verbal or visual. Examples of harassing behavior include
unwelcome sexual advances or remarks, offensive jokes, and
disparaging comments. No matter the form, it is never appropriate.
What is Harassment?
Harassment is behavior that creates an offensive, intimidating,
humiliating or hostile work environment that unreasonably
interferes with another person’s work.
Compliance with Local Labor and Wage Laws
We aim to be a positive social presence in every community where
we work. We promote basic human rights by following applicable
local labor laws and we do not allow child or forced labor by our
company, vendors or suppliers. We also follow all applicable wage
and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, and maximum
hour rules.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our employment
practices, please contact your manager, your human resources
representative or the Legal Department.
Q:
Lately, Ruth’s manager
has been making her feel
uncomfortable. He often
engages her in conversations about
his personal life, including some
recent problems in his marriage.
Their discussions make Ruth feel
uneasy and she would prefer that
they stick to professional dialogue.
She has expressed this to her
manager, but he continues to corner
her at her desk and in the hallways
to talk about his issues. What should
she do to fix this situation?
A:
While the Global Code
is not meant to prohibit
employees from sharing
personal experiences with one
another, one of its core purposes
is to ensure that all employees are
treated with dignity and respect.
Because Ruth has made it clear to
her manager that these discussions
are unwelcome and are making her
feel uncomfortable, her manager’s
behavior may violate Hill-Rom’s Global
Code and harassment policies. She
should report his conduct right away
to her human resources representative
— and remember that the company
prohibits any retaliation against those
who report suspected harassment in
good faith.
Hill-Rom Global Code of Conduct 21