Frequently Asked Questions

Use good judgment and use company equipment. Depending on the circumstances, insubstantial and infrequent personal use of company assets may be acceptable. If you have questions about such situations, discuss them with your supervisor.

Yes. Personal use that is brief, infrequent and appropriate is acceptable.

Limited personal use of communication tools by employees that does not result in inappropriate or unapproved costs, such as long distance or other usage charges is acceptable.

Consider carefully whether you need to store and transport personal data on any mobile device. If you must do so to perform your job duties, limit the amount of personal data that you transport and ensure company-provided information technology security precautions, such as encryption, are taken.

The loss or theft of any mobile device, such as a laptop or smartphone, which stores or has the ability to access information relating to company business, must be reported to the appropriate resources at your Koch company.  

No. You cannot use a company credit card for personal expenses.

You should report your concerns to one of the many options available to you so the activity can be reviewed.

My supervisor gave me an invoice and asked me to put it on my company credit card and forward it to her for approval and payment. Should I pay the invoice?

No. Every employee is responsible for paying the expenses they incur. In this case, your supervisor, who can certify the expense, is responsible for the charge and should submit it to her supervisor for approval, even if the amount is within your supervisor’s authority to approve.

Photography of company property is permitted only when approved by the business unit leader or local site management. Unauthorized photography of company property could be a sign of surveillance and the activity should be considered suspicious. Additionally, this photography could result in a loss of intellectual property. If you see the activity occurring, immediately report the matter to security or a member of management.

The loss of a laptop or any portable communication device not only results in the loss of the property, but it can also lead to a loss of confidential information or personal data. You should take the laptop inside your home to ensure safe storage. If you have a few stops to make before arriving home, discreetly store the laptop or any other property so that it is not visible in the vehicle.

Before your visit, ask your host for a copy of any agreements that you may have to sign for site access. This can help avoid surprises when you arrive at the site. Many sites require visitors to sign in and may sometimes require a non-disclosure agreement be signed in order to enter the site. You may sign the visitor log or non-disclosure agreement if it does not obligate you or the company beyond our expectation, expressed in this Code, to respect the intellectual property rights of others. Agreements that may further bind the company must be reviewed by a company Legal resource. It is best to ensure that any necessary agreements are executed in advance. Otherwise, if you are unable to meet the requirements of the site, you may have to decline to enter the site or discontinue the meeting until you can execute an acceptable agreement.

Possibly. Much of the information we produce, use or control while working for the company is confidential and proprietary. While some information is public and can be used elsewhere, or may be appropriate to use for educational purposes, we should never assume any company information is public. Ask your supervisor before using any company information for any purpose other than your responsibilities at the company.

If you believe the information being discussed is sensitive or confidential, respectfully tell the people they can be overheard. Every employee has a responsibility to ensure that confidential and proprietary information is not shared publicly.

First secure the information and then try to determine the likely owner of the documents and return them to that person. If you cannot, contact your compliance and ethics resource or Legal for help.

No. You are not allowed to publish company intellectual property unless authorized by Legal. If the intellectual property constitutes confidential information, it cannot be disclosed to anyone outside the company unless they have a legitimate need-to-know such information to conduct company business and have agreed to maintain the confidentiality of the information.

Only those authorized to represent the company may do so. You should contact your supervisor if you are concerned about the inaccurate information so that the authorized company resource can respond to the posting, if appropriate. 

Yes. You are obligated not to use or disclose the company’s confidential and proprietary information after you leave the company. 

It depends on the product or service. Like many companies, we claim an ownership right, to the extent allowed by law, to any product or service reasonably related to our business, even if you develop it on your own time. Acting with integrity and ensuring that you are complying with your legal obligations requires a release letter from Legal before you begin marketing any such product or service.

It depends. In the case of a potential acquisition, a confidentiality agreement is normally signed by the company before receiving information. The terms of the agreement may prohibit the disclosure and/or use of that information for other projects. Contact Legal for analysis of the issue.

No. You should not read this report any further, nor should you keep or make copies of it. Bring the document to the attention of your manager and Legal for appropriate handling.

It depends. Relevant factors can include the source of the video or article, the method of sharing and the purpose for sharing. The creator of a video or author of an article is the original owner of the copyright. The fact that a video or article has been published on a website does not give you the right to copy the video or article. Many websites only allow you to download a video or print one copy of an article for individual use. Seek ways to appropriately share the knowledge. Options may include passing along the website link, embedding a link to a video or requesting permission from the copyright owner.

Do not install any software product, including any software you may have purchased for personal use, on a company computer without approval by your business IT leader. They can help ensure that all license requirements are met and that the software is appropriate for use on the computer.

All license transfers should be cleared through your IT resource. Some licenses prohibit transfers between employees or require other special handling.

Software purchases are coordinated through your IT resource and must follow your Koch company’s software purchasing policy to ensure global management and auditing of our software licenses. 

Falsely reporting hours that an employee did not work demonstrates a lack of integrity and is a serious issue. It also results in higher costs to the business and is a form of theft. Report your concern using one of the many options available to you.

The law and company policy are quite clear in this area. You must accurately report all hours worked without exception. You must report your supervisor’s behavior using one of the many options available to you.

Absolutely not. Everything we do is based on honest and accurate measurements and reliable data. Practice integrity and humility by acknowledging that you made a mistake. Mistakes can become particularly serious when employees attempt to cover them up.

You should politely inform the representative that it is company policy to cooperate with the government, but that you will need to get back to them. You should immediately contact Legal for guidance.