OUR CODE – A STATEMENT OF OUR CORE VALUES
The businesses we manage depend heavily on their operations of state-of-the-art heavy equipment and industrial machinery. Smart as they are increasingly becoming and necessary as they may be to our economic success, these resources remain subordinate to our most prized resource – our people.
Our people are a diverse group, by choice. And while this diversity is not without its challenges, it is a net strength. Myriad backgrounds, experiences, languages, religions, nationalities, and ways of seeing the world are united by a common purpose and a set of values that guide us in the choices we make to achieve our goals.
SET TONE AT THE TOP
Our Core Values are not marketing inscriptions for handbooks and brochures. They are ingrained in our thinking and compel the actions that we take.
As such, we communicate these values through our actions. We don’t manage down, we lead by example.
Though each of us is responsible for his or her actions, those leading others have the added responsibility for demonstrating, through their actions, the importance of this Code.
CREATE A CULTURE OF OPEN AND HONEST COMMUNICATION
Everyone working at HELM or any of its affiliates should feel comfortable speaking his or her mind, particularly in relation to ethics concerns.
Managers have a responsibility to create an open and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable raising tough questions. We all benefit when employees exercise their power to prevent mistakes or wrongdoing by asking the right questions at the right times.
HELM will investigate all reported instances of questionable or unethical behavior. In every instance where improper behavior is found to have occurred, the company will take appropriate action. We will not tolerate retaliation against employees who raise genuine ethical concerns in good faith. Conversely, we will not tolerate the abuse of this moral imperative.
Employees are encouraged, in the first instance, to address such issues with their managers or directly with the Group HR Manager, as most problems can be resolved swiftly. If for any reason that is not possible or if an employee is not comfortable raising the issue with any of them, the matter can be taken all the way up to the Managing Director of the Group.
BUILD TRUST AND CREDIBILITY
We do not make commitments we cannot see through.
We do what we say and say what we do. Whenever we can, we let our actions do the talking. It is that simple.
When things go wrong, Honesty is the quickest route to setting things right. We do not run for cover or hide behind distractions, we face up to realities.
UPHOLD THE LAW OR CHANGE IT
HELM Group’s commitment to integrity begins with complying with laws, rules, and regulations where we do business. Further, each of us must have an understanding of our internal policies, rules, and regulations that apply to our specific roles. If we are unsure of whether a contemplated action is permitted, we should seek advice from the resource expert. We are individually and collectively responsible for preventing violations of law and for speaking up if we see possible violations.
It is not uncommon, especially in our business, for laws or regulations (internal or external) to have unintended consequences or create unforeseen burdens. Each of us, at our own level and in our own capacity is encouraged to lobby for beneficial change. Until such change is effected, however, we adhere.
RESPECT ONE ANOTHER
Each of us, no matter the role or position for which we have been employed, contributes directly to our business success.
HELM is committed to providing a workplace across our Group that is free from discrimination of all types and from abusive, offensive or harassing behavior. Any employee who feels harassed or discriminated against should report the incident to his or her manager or to human resources.
WORK SAFELY
Much of our work involves the management of risks that threaten our health and safety. While our organization employs specialists dedicated to maintaining a healthy and safe environment, Health and Safety are everyone’s job.
No matter what resources are marshaled to create a healthy and safe environment, each of us has the power to quickly neutralize their impact with a single bad choice.
The specialists among us are here to assess the risks in our activities, design systems, and failsafes to mitigate those risks, source fit-for-purpose tools and equipment therefor, monitor the overall program’s efficacy, and make improvements. IT IS YOUR JOB TO IMPLEMENT THE SYSTEMS DEVISED FOR YOUR ACTIVITIES.
You put on your helmet, you lock in your tether, you cross at designated crossings, and you make sure you go home in one piece at the end of the day.
DO NOT CUT CORNERS
We value engineer, we streamline and consider alternatives but we do not compromise our values, ignore rules and regulations or follow the easiest and quickest route forward.
We measure twice and cut once as the saying goes.
We reject outright the foolish misconception that processes and procedures are costly bureaucracy that the organization would prefer we ignore when nobody is looking to save money.
To be sure, poorly designed processes and procedures can be a net cost that is wasted with no benefit. When confronted with such a situation, we fix it, because we can.
We know that those who cannot, or don’t know better, either follow blindly or disregard completely and cut corners. That is not who we are.
We do not break the law when it is not expedient, we find alternative routes or we change the law. We do not leap across an open trench to save 5 minutes at the cost of a month, or worse, a lifetime when the crossing is too far.
We respect what we do enough to know that it is too important to not give it the attention it deserves.
If we see inefficiency or room for improvement, we identify the root cause and provide a solution.
We also remind ourselves that there is a bigger picture and considerations other than our own that go into the systems that an organization follows. So we make sure that we involve all stakeholders; thereby measuring twice, or three times, if necessary, and cutting once.
RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S PROPERTY
We jealously guard what is ours and treat it with respect. We afford the same security and care to what is not our own when in our custody or zone of operations.
This standard of care applies to tangible and intangible property.
MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY
In our line of work, we become privy to our stakeholders’ non-public information. We err on the side of maintaining this information private and sharing it only as authorized on a need-to-know basis.
We strive to carefully balance our belief in transparency and the free flow of information with our duty to not disclose.
Similarly, we share information among ourselves that is sensitive, private or proprietary. We do so on a need-to-know basis. Period.
AVOID CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
We avoid relationships or activities that might impair or even appear to impair, our ability to make objective and fair decisions when performing our jobs. When faced with situations where the business actions we take on behalf of our organization may conflict with our own personal interests, whether direct or indirect, we speak up and seek advice.
We recognize that as people acting for the sum total of our business’s parts, we have a duty to advance its legitimate interests when the opportunity to do so arises. We do not use the HELM group’s property or information for personal gain or personally take for ourselves any opportunity that is discovered through our position within the group.
EARN YOUR SUCCESS
We are committed to success on the merit of our products and services.
We avoid any actions that create a perception that we seek favorable treatment on any other grounds.
We neither give nor accept business courtesies that constitute, nor could reasonably be perceived as constituting inducements that would violate law, regulation, or our policies, or those of our stakeholders, or would cause embarrassment or reflect negatively on our reputation.
GIVE BACK
Even though we are cautious to avoid actions that would create an unfair advantage, we are generous with our time and resources. We help each other, trusted partners in our supply chain, and the communities in which we operate. When presented with the opportunity to give back, we ensure that our actions are appropriate and proper.
