Acting with Integrity: Always and in All Ways
Integrity is an essential quality in every workplace, but exactly how we define integrity might vary from person to person or job to job. For me, integrity is simply this: how you behave when no one is looking. There are enormous challenges and pressures presented every day in our workplace but that should never lead us to stray from doing the right thing, every time.
You don’t need to look any further than the news or social media to find examples of individuals or organizations that have engaged in unethical behavior. These actions can be devastating to many. It’s not uncommon for these large-scale scandals to begin with just one questionable action. It happens slowly… then quickly.
To be sure, mistakes happen. But the way you handle the mistake – even when no one is looking – is what matters most. And this is not just my expectation. As a company that is for those who make the world, our colleagues, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders expect us to maintain high standards of integrity and ethical behavior.
This Code of Business Ethics provides a critical set of guidelines for our employees to follow in their daily activities, but we could never build a framework that covers every situation or challenge our employees may encounter. So remember, if you are ever unsure about a decision – or a certain action just doesn’t feel right – ask yourself, “Is what I’m about to do consistent with being for those who make the world?” If the answer is no, then there are multiple resources to help you. You can also reach out directly to me.
Thank you for taking the time to explore this document and for everything you do to ensure that Stanley Black & Decker continues to be a high-performing, high-integrity company.
Don Allan
Chief Executive Officer
Stanley Black & Decker