Frequently Asked Questions
Compliance With the Law
Don’t abandon your own judgment. If something seems intuitively wrong to you, ask before acting. You also have an obligation to understand the finer points of the rules governing your job. Don’t hesitate to contact the Ethics Office or the compliance or legal departments if you need clarification of the laws or of our standards and policies.
Reporting Concerns
When you report an issue in “good faith,” it means that you believe the information you’re reporting is accurate and truthful (even if that belief turns out to be mistaken). It is a violation of our Code to make an allegation that you know or suspect is untrue. We protect employees who raise their concerns honestly and openly.
Depending on the kind of question you have or concern you wish to share, there are others you may contact, too. Refer to the Raising and Reporting Concerns Policy for more information.
Manager Responsibilities
First and foremost, lead by example. Include discussions about workplace ethics in team meetings. Make team members feel comfortable asking questions when they have concerns. Remind employees that they won’t be retaliated against for reporting information in good faith and in accordance with this Code. Find helpful manager resources on the online Code of Ethics site and the People Manager Resources site on Teams.
Yes. As a supervisor, you’re the most important compliance resource your team members have. You’re both the conduit for valuable information about the risks we face as an organization and a channel that team members can use to ask questions and report any concerns. You should not only act ethically, but also explain to your team what you’re doing and why.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Each of us should conduct ourselves professionally and report discrimination, harassment or retaliation concerns to management, the People Organization, or the Ethics and Compliance Helpline. Your concern will be investigated. Employees found to have engaged in discrimination or harassment will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Threats or retaliation against individuals for reporting discrimination or harassment or participating in any related investigation is prohibited.
Protecting Intellectual Property
Assurant won’t unlawfully use intellectual property that it doesn’t own in any of its products, services, or advertising. We will adhere to Assurant contractual and ethical obligations when working with others and materials not owned by Assurant.
Protecting Confidential Information
It can be written, verbal, telephonic or electronic. Confidential information may pertain to our company itself or to the customers, suppliers or companies with whom we do business.
A best practice is to assume that all information about our company and its business (including information concerning past, present and prospective customers, business partners, suppliers, directors and employees) is confidential unless the contrary is clear.
No. Sharing confidential information from a former employer is unethical and can also expose you and Assurant to legal liabilities.
No, it’s not acceptable to send confidential company information to a personal email address (or unapproved messaging service). All company-related information must be handled through approved and/or secure communication channels to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the data.
Information Technology and Cybersecurity
Yes. Immediately report the incident to the Assurant Information Security Team as the laptop and the network may be compromised. Use the “Manage Unwanted” function in Outlook to notify the Assurant Information Security Team.
Insider Trading
Information is material if it’s important to an investor making a decision about buying or selling Assurant’s stock. This information may include financial results, business acquisitions or sales, senior management changes, government investigations, changes in significant customers and product launches. If you’re unsure whether you have material, nonpublic information, refrain from trading, and consult your manager or the Legal Department.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Before starting a second job, you should inform your manager to help ensure the secondary job won’t interfere with your role or the interests of Assurant. If you decide to move forward with the secondary job, you must submit a disclosure to the Assurant Ethics Office and obtain approval prior to starting. The second job must not interfere in any way with your job performance at Assurant, or be with an Assurant competitor (other restrictions may apply). For additional information and guidance, please review the Conflict of Interest Policy or contact the Ethics Office at [email protected].
Prior to agreeing to serve on the board of directors of an organization (other than an Assurant-owned company), discuss it with your manager. If you decide to move forward with serving on the board, seek approval by the Ethics Office, via the disclosure process, to understand expectations that may come with serving in such capacity and to determine if that service will create any actual or perceived conflict of interest or interfere with your job duties.
Yes. You must disclose your relationship with the candidate to your manager and recuse yourself from the hiring process, which helps ensure fairness and neutrality. To help maintain and promote a professional and fair working environment, Assurant doesn’t allow immediate family members to be in a reporting line with other employees (or nonemployees such as contingent workers or contractors), to avoid the appearance of a conflict, nepotism, or favoritism.
Fair Competition and Antitrust
Generally, competitive intelligence refers to the ability to gather, analyze and use information collected on competitors, customers and other market factors that contribute to a business’s competitive advantage. Please contact your Compliance Officer or Legal for assistance in determining whether the competitive intelligence you have is appropriate to use.
Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption
Bribery and corruption risks are a concern worldwide and such risks can undermine the health and viability of Assurant and the environments where we operate can greatly damage our reputation and can result in severe fines and criminal proceedings.
Import, Export and Anti-Boycott Laws
Some products or technologies may require an export or an import license before shipment, and certain technical information may not be posted on the internet or attached to an email. Local law might prohibit a sale altogether. These obligations can’t be avoided by using a third party that would deliver the company’s products to a forbidden destination, person or entity.
Before purchasing parts, work with Procurement to get a contract in place. By engaging Procurement (MyBuy on Connect) early, we can screen the supplier to ensure it is legitimate and its parts comply with chain of custodyAll steps in a supply chain that take possession of the product, including miners, transporters, exporters, processors and manufacturers. It provides record of the sequence of entities that have custody of minerals as they move through a supply chain that traces a material back to its origin. Some examples of a chain of custody regulation are verifying that slave labor wasn’t used in any manufacturing process and that no parts used in production were obtained from sanctioned countries. and conflict mineralsA natural resource in the global supply chain extracted from a geographical region of conflict and used to finance civil wars and perpetrate human rights violations in that region. regulations.
When in Doubt - Speak Up
If you have questions or concerns, let your manager, the People Organization or the Ethics Office know.
Social Media and Communicating Externally
A general rule to remember when using social media is to think about the impact of statements that you make. Keep in mind that these transmissions are permanent and easily transferrable, and can affect our company’s reputation and relationships with coworkers and customers. When using social media, don’t make comments on behalf of Assurant without proper authorization. Also, you must not disclose Assurant’s confidential or proprietary information about our business, suppliers or customers.