Compliance

As part of systems to ensure the appropriate conduct of business activities by Directors and employees, Sumitomo Bakelite has established its Compliance Committee. This committee is responsible for promoting compliance through assessments of compliance levels and, when necessary, undertaking related improvements as well as education and training.

Please click here for our Corporate Governance, and here for our Basic Policy Regarding Internal Control System Establishment.

To further familiarize employees and ensure compliance with corporate ethics, Sumitomo Bakelite has established an employee conduct code called Our Standards of Conduct and distributes this in a booklet to all employees. Also, periodically, this conduct code is confirmed by having employees take turns reading the code in the office.

To make compliance an integral part of daily activities, each department decides on the key items for compliance and prepares "Ten Articles for Emphasis in Compliance. " The content of these articles varies from one department to another, but they are displayed prominently in all workplaces, and they are confirmed with all employees periodically by having them read the articles aloud in unison. Overseas affiliates are also engaged in this kind of activity.

In cases where an employee discovers a compliance violation or suspects that there may have been a violation, he or she reports this directly to the supervisor or to a designated contact point.
In addition to this internal reporting system, employees with such information to disclose can elect to report externally through designated legal counsel. The privacy of those disclosing such information is, therefore, strictly protected.
Two cases were reported in fiscal 2010, but neither of these involved major improprieties, and matters were dealt with appropriately.