This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics ("Code") is intended to
document the principles of conduct and ethics to be followed by
Kinross' Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors (each as
defined in Schedule "A"). Its purpose is to:
Kinross expects all of its Employees, Officers, Directors and
Contractors to comply and act in accordance, at all times, with the
principles stated above and the more detailed provisions provided
hereinafter. Violations of this Code by an Employee, Officer,
Director or Contractor are grounds for disciplinary action up to
and including, but without limitation, immediate termination of
employment, directorship or contract. References to "Kinross" or
the "Company" herein refer collectively to Kinross and all of its
Subsidiaries (as defined in Schedule "A").
a. Discrimination, Harassment and
Workplace Violence
Discrimination, harassment and workplace violence are illegal and
will not be tolerated by Kinross. The prohibition against
discrimination, harassment and workplace violence includes conduct
at the Company's offices, mine sites as well as any other
Company-related place or event. Discrimination, harassment
and workplace violence through indirect methods of communication
such telephone calls or e-mails, is also prohibited.
Discrimination and Harassment
Kinross fosters a work environment in which all individuals are
treated with respect and dignity. Kinross is an equal
opportunity employer and does not permit its representatives to
discriminate against Employees, Officers, Directors, Contractors or
potential Employees, Officers, Directors or Contractors.
Discrimination includes any behavior which degrades an individual,
including but not limited to, any distinction, imposition of a
burden, withholding of a benefit or preferential treatment on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual
orientation or disability or any other category protected by
Canadian federal and provincial or local laws and regulations
applicable in the jurisdiction where such employees, officers or
directors are located. Kinross will make reasonable accommodations
for its Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors in
compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Kinross is
committed to actions and policies to assure fair employment,
including equal treatment in hiring, promotion, training,
compensation, termination and corrective action and will take
disciplinary action against any Employee, Officer, Director or
Contractor who is found to have contravened the Company's
prohibition against discrimination.
Kinross will not tolerate harassment of its Employees, Officers,
Directors or Contractors or any other person involved in a business
relationship with Kinross and will take disciplinary action against
any Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor who is found to have
contravened the Company's prohibition against harassment.
Harassment is any vexatious conduct or comment which is known or
ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome or offensive, or to
create an intimidating or hostile work environment.
Harassment can be a one-time occurrence or can be ongoing. The
definition of harassment includes sexual harassment.
Examples of behavior which may be considered discrimination or
harassment include, but are not limited to:
(a) unwelcome remarks, jokes, taunts,
suggestions, slurs or speculation about a person's culture, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, ancestry, age or other prohibited ground of
discrimination, or about a person's body, attire or sex life;
(b) offensive or demeaning posters,
graffiti, drawings or cartoons;
(c) unwelcome or offensive sexual
advances, requests, comments or noises;
(d) demands for sexual favours in
exchange for employment advantages, promises of employment
advantages, or the threat of withdrawal of those advantages;
(e) unwelcome physical conduct or
gestures of a sexual nature including suggestive or persistent
staring and unnecessary contact such as touching, pinching or
jostling; and
(f) persistent unwanted attention or
contact after the end of a consensual relationship.
Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is illegal and is the attempted or actual
exercise of any physical force that causes or may cause physical
injury to a person, and includes any threats which give a person
reasonable grounds to believe he or she is at risk of physical
injury.
Examples of behavior which may be considered workplace violence
include, but are not limited to:
(a) physical attacks such as hitting,
shoving, pushing or kicking;
(b) verbal or written threats, including
any expression of an intent to inflict harm; and
(c) bullying, teasing or other abusive
and aggressive behavior which may lead to physical attacks or
threats.
Weapons
No weapons of any kind will be tolerated in the workplace unless
such are required for Kinross property security purposes and then
only after authorization by the Chief Operating Officer or his or
her delegate.
Responsibilities
Kinross is committed to preventing discrimination, harassment and
workplace violence before inappropriate behavior occurs and to
addressing any complaints related to these matters on a timely
basis. Accordingly, supervisors and managers are responsible
for:
All Kinross representatives are responsible for ensuring that
their own behavior is free from discrimination, harassment and
workplace violence. Employees, Officers, Directors and
Contractors are also responsible for reporting any incidences of
discrimination, harassment and workplace violence of which they
become aware, regardless of whether such person is the target of
such behavior.
b. Substance Abuse
Kinross is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy work
environment free of substance abuse. Employees, Officers, Directors
and Contractors must not (i) consume alcoholic beverages in
quantities that affect work performance or impair their judgment
during work hours, (ii) consume, provide or serve alcoholic
beverages in Kinross' premises, except when approved by the
President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Legal Officer or
the Senior Vice President, Human Resources, or (iii) consume,
possess, sell or distribute illegal substances in Kinross'
premises, at any Kinross function or at any other time when you
could be identified as a Kinross Employee, Officer, Director or
Contractor.
c. Employment of Family
Members
Employment of more than one family member at a Kinross mine or
office is permissible but the direct supervision of one family
member by another is not permitted unless otherwise authorized by
the Senior Vice-President, Human Resources or his or her
delegate. Except for summer and co-op students, indirect
supervision of a family member by another is also discouraged and
requires the prior approval of the respective Chief Operating
Officer and Senior Vice-President, Human Resources or their
respective delegates. If allowed, any personnel actions
(including, for example, promotions or changes in employment
responsibilities) affecting that Employee must also be reviewed and
endorsed by the forenamed executives.
d. Employee Privacy and Personal
Information
Kinross believes in taking steps to protect the privacy of its
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors and others with whom
Kinross has a business relationship. Kinross will not
interfere in the personal lives of such individuals unless their
conduct impairs their work performance or adversely affects the
work environment or reputation of Kinross.
Kinross limits the collection of personal information to that
which is necessary for business, legal, security or contractual
purposes and collection of personal information is to be conducted
by fair and lawful means with the knowledge and consent of the
individual from whom the information is being collected.
Access to Employee personnel and medical records and the
information contained therein shall be limited to those with a need
to know for a legitimate business purpose. All Employees have
the right to see their own personnel record. Personal
information shall not be used or disclosed for purposes other than
those for which it was collected, except with the knowledge and
consent of the individual or as required by law. Personal
information shall be retained only as long as necessary for the
fulfilment of those purposes and shall be kept sufficiently
accurate, complete and up-to-date to minimize the possibility that
inappropriate information may be used or disclosed. Kinross
and its representatives will observe obligations of confidentiality
and non-disclosure of personal information, including information
of its Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors and other
persons with whom Kinross has a business relationship, with the
same degree of diligence that Employees, Officers, Directors and
Contractors are expected to use in protecting confidential
information of Kinross. Kinross is responsible for all
personal information in its possession or custody, including
information that has been transferred to a third party for
processing, and all Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors
shall adhere to Kinross' policies and procedures in place to
protect personal information against loss or theft, as well as
unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or
modification. Kinross and all Employees, Officers, Directors
and Contractors shall also comply with all applicable laws
regulating the disclosure of personal information, including the
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
(Canada).
a. Environment
Kinross is committed to sound environmental management. It is
the intent of Kinross to conduct itself in partnership with the
environment and community at large as a responsible and caring
corporate citizen. Kinross is committed to managing all
phases of its business in a manner that minimizes any adverse
effects of its operations on the environment. Kinross and its
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors shall conserve
energy resources to the fullest extent possible consistent with
sound business operations. Kinross is committed to complying with
all applicable environmental laws and regulations in regions where
we operate. Employees must immediately advise their manager
of any non-compliance or suspected non-compliance with any
applicable environmental laws or regulations.
b. Health and Safety
Kinross is committed to providing a healthy and safe workplace in
compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Employees must be aware of the safety issues and policies that
affect their job, other employees and the community in
general. Managers, upon learning of any circumstance
affecting the health and safety of the workplace or the community,
must act immediately to address the situation. Employees must
immediately advise their managers of any workplace injury or any
circumstance presenting a dangerous situation to them, other
co-workers or the community in general, so that timely corrective
action can be taken.
a. Conflict of Interest
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors are required to act
with honesty and integrity and to avoid any relationship or
activity that might create, or appear to create, a conflict between
their personal interests and the interests of Kinross.
Conflicts of interest arise where an individual's position or
responsibilities with Kinross present an opportunity for personal
gain apart from the normal rewards of employment, officership,
directorship or other business relationship. They also arise
where a Employee's, Officer's, Director's or Contractor's personal
interests are inconsistent with those of Kinross and create
conflicting loyalties. Such conflicting loyalties can cause a
Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor to give preference to
personal interests in situations where corporate responsibilities
should come first. Employees, Officers, Directors and
Contractors shall perform the responsibilities of their positions
on the basis of what is in the best interests of Kinross and free
from the influence of personal considerations and
relationships.
Employees, Officers and Directors shall not acquire any property,
security or business interest which they know that Kinross is
interested in acquiring. Moreover, based on such advance
information, Employees, Officers and Directors shall not
acquire any property, security or business interest for speculation
or investment.
Employees must disclose promptly in writing possible conflicts of
interest to their manager, or if the manager is involved in the
conflict of interest, to the Chief Legal Officer or his or her
delegate. Officers and Directors should disclose, in writing,
any conflicts of interest (or possible conflicts of interest) to
the Chief Legal Officer and the Chairman of the Corporate
Governance Committee.
b. Gifts and Entertainment
Employees, Officers and Directors or their immediate families shall
not use their position with Kinross to solicit any cash, gifts or
free services from any Kinross customer, supplier or Contractor for
their or their immediate family's or friend's personal
benefit. Gifts or entertainment from others should not be
accepted if they could be reasonably considered to be extravagant
for the Employee, Officer or Director who receives it, or otherwise
improperly influence Kinross' business relationship with or create
an obligation to a customer, supplier or Contractor. The
following are guidelines regarding gifts and entertainment:
c. Competitive
Practices
Kinross firmly believes that fair competition is fundamental to the
continuation of the free enterprise system. Kinross complies with
and supports laws which prohibit restraints of trade, unfair
practices, or abuse of economic power.
Kinross will not enter into arrangements that unlawfully restrict
its ability to compete with other businesses, or the ability of any
other business organization to compete freely with Kinross.
Kinross' policy also prohibits Employees, Officers, Directors and
Contractors from entering into or discussing any unlawful
arrangement or understanding that may result in unfair business
practices or anticompetitive behavior.
d. Supplier and Contractor
Relationships
Kinross will select its suppliers and contractors in a
non-discriminatory manner based on the quality, price, service,
delivery and supply of goods and services. Selection of suppliers
and contractors must never be based on personal interests or the
interests of family members or friends.
Employees should inform their managers (who should report the issue
to the Chief Legal Officer or his or her delegate), and
Officers, Directors and Contractors should inform the Chief
Legal Officer and the Chairman of the Audit Committee, of any
supplier and contractor relationships that create a conflict of
interest (or possible conflict of interest). It is the
Company's policy to treat all competing suppliers and contractors
on a merit basis.
Kinross will only deal with suppliers and contractors who comply
with applicable legal requirements and any Kinross standards
relating to labour, environment, health and safety, intellectual
property rights, improper payments or inducements to public or
government officials and prohibitions against child or forced
labour.
Confidential information received from a supplier or contractor
shall be treated as if it were Kinross' Confidential Information
(see "Company Confidential Information"). Confidential
Information shall not be disclosed to a supplier until an
appropriate confidentiality agreement has been signed by the
supplier or contractor.
Use of Kinross' name or intellectual property by a supplier or
contractor requires approval in writing by the Chief Legal Officer,
the Vice President, Legal or their respective delegate.
Kinross shall not use the name or intellectual property of a
supplier or contractor without the supplier's or contractor's
consent in writing.
e. Public Relations
Kinross responsibility for all public relations, including all
contact with the media is governed by Kinross' Disclosure,
Confidentiality and Insider Trading Policy. Unless you are
specifically authorized under the Disclosure, Confidentiality and
Insider Trading Policy to represent Kinross to the media, you may
not respond to inquiries or requests for information. This includes
newspapers, magazines, trade publications, radio and television as
well as any other external sources requesting information about
Kinross. If the media contacts you about any topic,
immediately refer the call to one of the individuals authorized to
respond under the Disclosure Policy.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors must be careful not
to disclose Confidential Information (defined below in Section VI.
(a) - Confidential and Proprietary Information and Trade Secrets)
through public or casual discussions with the media or others or
through social media channels.
f. Government Relations
Employees, Officers and Directors may participate in the political
process as private citizens. It is important to separate
personal political activity and Kinross' political activities, if
any, in order to comply with the appropriate rules and regulations
relating to lobbying or attempting to influence government
officials. Kinross will not reimburse Employees, Officers or
Directors for money or personal time contributed to political
campaigns. In addition, Employees and Officers may not work
on behalf of a candidate's campaign while at work or at any time
use Kinross' facilities for that purpose unless approved by the
Chief Legal Officer or his or her delegate.
Kinross' dealings with public officials are to be conducted in a
manner that will not compromise the integrity or impugn the
reputation of any public official or Kinross. Participation,
whether directly or indirectly, in any bribes, kickbacks, improper
profit-sharing arrangements, illegal gratuities or improper
inducements or payments to any public official is expressly
forbidden, notwithstanding that they might further Kinross'
business interests. The restrictions in this paragraph apply
to Kinross' operations around the world, even where such practices
may be considered to be a way of "doing business" or necessary in a
particular country in question.
It is an offence under the anti-bribery provisions of both the
Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (Canada) and The Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act (U.S.) (together, the "Acts") to make or
offer a payment, gift or benefit, whether directly or indirectly
through a third party acting on Kinross' behalf, to a foreign
public official in order to induce favourable business treatment,
such as obtaining or retaining business or some other advantage in
the course of business. Note that the term "public official"
is very broad and includes low-ranking employees of a government or
a government-controlled entity, political parties and candidates
for political office.
Small "facilitation payments" (as defined in the Acts) intended to
secure a routine business service or have routine administrative
actions performed by public officials, such as obtaining phone
service or police protection, may be made to foreign public
officials unless prohibited in the relevant jurisdiction. In
addition, it is a defence to the anti-bribery provisions in the
Acts that the payment, gift or benefit was lawful under the written
laws of the foreign state for which the foreign public official
performs duties or functions. It is also a defence that the
payment or benefit was made to pay reasonable expenses incurred in
good faith by or on behalf of the foreign public official that are
directly related to the execution or performance of the contract
between Kinross and the foreign state for which the official
performs duties or functions.
Many jurisdictions outside of North America have implemented
similar anti-bribery legislation which may apply to Kinross'
operations.
Understanding the difference between a permitted payment and an
illegal bribe is important and may require careful analysis.
Accordingly, if you are in doubt about the legitimacy of a payment
to be made either directly or indirectly through third parties to
officials or employees of governments, or their agencies or
instrumentalities (including government monopolies), refer the
matter to the Chief Legal Officer, the Vice President, Legal, or
their respective delegate. Moreover, all approved
arrangements must be documented in accordance with Kinross' legal
and accounting requirements and business practices. In
addition, Kinross, its Employees, Officers, Directors and
Contractors are strictly prohibited from attempting to influence
any person's testimony in any manner whatsoever in courts of
justice or any administrative tribunals or other government
bodies.
g. Directorships
Employees and Officers of Kinross shall not act as directors or
officers of any other corporate entity or organization, public or
private, without the prior written approval of the President &
CEO or his or her delegate. Directorships or officerships
with such entities will not be authorized unless they are
considered to be in the best interest of Kinross. The
President & CEO, or his or her delegate, may provide
authorizations for directorships that are necessary for business
purposes or for directorships with charitable organizations or
other entities that will further Kinross' profile in the
community.
a. Compliance with Laws, Rules,
Regulations (including Insider Trading Laws and Timely Disclosure
Rules), and Investigations
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors are expected to
comply in good faith at all times with all applicable laws, rules
and regulations.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors are required to
comply with the Disclosure, Confidentiality and Insider Trading
Policy, which requires timely disclosure of material information
and mandates full, fair, accurate, understandable and timely
disclosure in reports and documents filed with, or submitted to,
regulatory authorities and other materials that are made available
to the investing public, and all other policies and procedures
applicable to them that are adopted by Kinross from time to
time. A copy of the Disclosure, Confidentiality and
Insider Trading Policy is available from the Corporate Secretary
and any questions concerning such policy may be directed to the
Chief Legal Officer, the Vice President, Legal or their respective
delegate.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors must cooperate fully
with those persons (including the Chief Financial Officer, the
Chief Legal Officer and the Corporate Secretary) responsible for
preparing reports filed with the regulatory authorities and all
other materials that are made available to the investing public to
ensure those persons are aware in a timely manner of all
information that is required to be disclosed. Employees, Officers,
Directors and Contractors should also cooperate fully with the
independent auditors in their audits and in assisting in the
preparation of financial disclosure.
It is the policy of Kinross to fully cooperate with any appropriate
governmental or regulatory investigation. A condition of such
cooperation, however, is that Kinross be adequately represented in
such investigations by its own legal counsel. Accordingly,
any time an Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor receives
information about a new government investigation or inquiry, this
information should be communicated immediately to the Chief Legal
Officer, or Vice President, Legal. Some government dealings
(for example, tax audits, audits or investigations from the
Ministry of Labour) can be handled by the Employee responsible for
such matters. However, if an Employee, Officer, Director or
Contractor believes that a routine audit may evolve into a more
formal government investigation, the Chief Legal Officer or Vice
President, Legal should be contacted. If in doubt, Employees,
Officers, Directors and Contractors are encouraged to consult
with the Chief Legal Officer or Vice President, Legal.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors should never, under
any circumstances:
(a) destroy or alter any Kinross documents
or records in anticipation of a request for those documents from
any government or regulatory agency or a court;
(b) lie or make any misleading statements
to any governmental or regulatory investigator (including routine
as well as non-routine investigations); or
(c) attempt to cause any Kinross Employee,
Officer, Director or Contractor, or any other person, to fail to
provide information to any government or regulatory investigator or
to provide any false or misleading information.
Should any governmental or regulatory inquiry be made through the
issuance of a written request for information, such request should
immediately, and before any action is taken or promised, be
submitted to the Chief Legal Officer, Vice President, Legal or
their respective delegate. Oral inquiries and requests for
documents or information should also be directed to the Chief Legal
Officer, Vice President, Legal or their respective delegate.
a. Confidential and Proprietary
Information and Trade Secrets
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors may be exposed to
certain information that is considered confidential by Kinross, or
may be involved in the design or development of new procedures
related to the business of Kinross. All such information and
procedures, whether or not the subject of copyright or patent, are
the sole property of Kinross.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors must safeguard
Kinross' Confidential Information. "Confidential Information"
includes trade secrets, know how, records, data, plans, strategies,
processes, business opportunities and ideas relating to present and
contemplated products and services and financial affairs of the
Company, its customers, its suppliers and/or other Employees,
Officers, Directors or Contractors. Confidential Information
is information which is not generally known to the public and is
useful or helpful to the Company and/or would be useful or helpful
to competitors of the Company. Common examples include, but
are not limited to, such things as marketing plans, new product
ideas, financial data, supplier lists, customer lists, capital
investment plans, projected sales or earnings, and manufacturing
methods. Confidential Information also includes any documents
containing any of the foregoing or which may be labeled
"confidential" or "proprietary".
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors, may not disclose
to the public (including family members) information which might
impair Kinross' competitive effectiveness or which might violate
the private rights of individuals, enterprises or institutions and
are prohibited from discussing or disclosing to any third party any
Confidential Information without authorization. However,
disclosure of Confidential Information may be made for legitimate
purposes such as full and complete reporting to governmental,
regulatory or enforcement agencies. If in doubt about whether
information is Confidential Information, you should assume the
information is confidential unless otherwise informed by your
supervisor. Confidential Information should not be shared
with other Employees except on a "need to know" basis. The
above rules also apply to information which the Company has
obtained from a customer or supplier (or prospective customer or
supplier), a contractor or consultant, or any other third party
dealing with the Company on condition of confidentiality. The
foregoing obligations to maintain confidentiality of Confidential
Information and confidential information of third parties apply
both while a person is an Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor
of Kinross and following termination of such relationship.
All Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors must also
adhere to Kinross' procedures and practices on timely disclosure,
as set out in the Disclosure, Confidentiality and Insider Trading
Policy, a copy of which is available from the Corporate Secretary,
and questions concerning such policy may be directed to the Chief
Legal Officer, the Vice President, Legal or their respective
delegate.
If the decision is made to disclose Confidential Information to
any person or entity outside of the Company (such as a potential
vendor or business partner), it should be done only after
appropriate confidentiality agreements are executed.
Confidentiality agreements can be obtained from the Kinross legal
department.
All Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors are responsible
for the protection of Confidential Information (including
electronic mail and voice mail) and must take the appropriate steps
to protect such information. Employees, Officers, Directors
and Contractors should always be alert to and seek to prevent
inadvertent disclosures which may arise in either social
conversations or in normal business relations.
The widespread use of computer terminals, the internet and
cellular phones has caused confidential and proprietary information
to be potentially accessible by many individuals. Extra
precautionary steps should be taken to safeguard against unwanted
access to Confidential Information when transmitting such
information over the internet or via cellular phone.
Documents containing sensitive data should be handled carefully
during working hours and must be properly secured at the end of the
business day. Particular attention must be paid to the security of
data stored on the computer system. Each Employee must maintain the
secrecy of his or her password and lock sensitive or valuable
equipment when not in use.
b. Financial Reporting and
Records
Kinross requires that its financial records be accurate and
complete. These records serve as a basis for managing our
business and are crucial for meeting obligations to Employees,
customers, investors and others, as well as for compliance with
regulatory, tax, financial reporting and other legal
requirements. Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors
who make entries into business records or who issue regulatory or
financial reports, have a responsibility to fairly present all
information in a truthful, accurate and timely manner. No
Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor shall exert any influence
over, coerce, mislead or in any way manipulate or attempt to
manipulate the independent auditors of Kinross.
c. Record Retention
Kinross requires that its records be maintained in accordance with
its Record Retention Policy and the laws and regulations regarding
retention of business records. The term "business records"
covers a broad range of files, reports, business plans, receipts,
policies and communications, including hard copy, electronic, audio
recording, microfiche and microfilm files whether maintained at
work or at home. Kinross prohibits the destruction of or
tampering with any records, whether written or in electronic form,
where Kinross is required by law or government regulation to
maintain such records or where it has reason to know of a
threatened or pending government investigation or litigation
relating to such records.
a. Use of Kinross
Property
The use of Kinross property for individual profit or any unlawful
or unauthorized personal or unethical purpose is prohibited.
Kinross' information, technology, intellectual property, buildings,
land, equipment, machines, software and cash must be used only for
business purposes except as provided by Kinross policy or approved
by your manager.
b. Destruction of Property and
Theft
No Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor shall intentionally
damage or destroy the property of Kinross or any other person or
commit theft.
c. Fraud
No Employee, Officer, Director or Contractor shall commit any fraud
against or involving Kinross or any third party in a business
relationship with Kinross. Fraud includes, but is not limited to,
misappropriation of funds, securities, supplies or other assets;
improper handling or reporting of monetary or financial
transactions; profiteering as a result of insider knowledge of
company activities; disclosing confidential and proprietary
information to third parties; disclosing actual or contemplated
securities activities of the company; accepting or seeking anything
of material value from contractors, vendors or other service
providers except as permitted by this Code; destruction, removal or
inappropriate use of records, furniture, fixtures and equipment; or
any similar or related activity.
d. Intellectual Property
All information, technology and intellectual property, including,
but not limited to all creative materials, programs, designs,
inventions, developments, strategies, etc. developed by an Employee
during the course of employment with Kinross belong to the Company
and all Employees assign to the Company all rights the Employee may
have in the information, technology and intellectual
property. Such materials shall remain with Kinross following
termination of employment and Employees shall take such reasonable
steps as requested by the Company to confirm ownership of such
materials by Kinross, and to enable Kinross to perfect and maintain
its title to such information, technology and intellectual
property. All Employees waive all authorship and moral rights
which they may have in such information, technology and
intellectual property.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors may not reproduce,
distribute or alter copyrighted materials without permission of the
copyright owner or its authorized agents. Software used in
connection with Kinross' business must be properly licensed and
used only in accordance with that license.
e. Information Technology
Kinross' information technology systems, including computers,
e-mail, intranet and internet access, telephones and voice mail are
the property of Kinross and are to be used primarily for business
purposes. Kinross information technology systems may be used
for minor or incidental personal messages provided that such use is
kept at a minimum and is in compliance with Kinross policy.
Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors may not use Kinross'
information technology systems to:
While Kinross does not intend to regularly monitor the use of its
information technology systems, it may monitor such systems if
necessary for business purposes or in conducting internal
investigations, if approved by the President and CEO and the Chief
Legal Officer or their respective delegates.
It is the responsibility of all Employees, Officers, Directors
and Contractors to understand and comply with this Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics, and all (both existing and new) Employees,
Officers and Directors are required to sign the applicable
acknowledgement substantially in the form set out at the end of
this Code on an annual basis.
If you observe or become aware of an actual or potential violation
of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or of any law or
regulation, whether committed by Kinross Employees, Officers or
Directors or by others associated with Kinross, it is your
responsibility to report the circumstances as outlined herein and
to cooperate with any investigation by Kinross. This Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics is designed to provide an atmosphere of
open communication for compliance issues and to ensure that
Employees, Officers, Directors, Contractors and other Kinross
representatives and agents acting in good faith have the means to
report actual or potential violations.
For assistance with compliance matters and to report actual or
potential compliance infractions, Employees should refer to the
reporting procedures set forth in the Company's Whistleblower
Policy, a copy of which is available from the Corporate Secretary
or on the Company's website at www.kinross.com. Non-employees
should refer to the reporting procedures for non-employees
available at the Company's website.
Kinross recognizes that matters relating to discrimination,
harassment and workplace violence are often sensitive and that
Employees and others may be reluctant to report these
matters. For such matters, in addition to the reporting
mechanisms under the Company's Whistleblower Policy, Employees,
Officers, Directors and Contractors may report incidents directly,
either verbally or in writing, to the Senior Vice President, Human
Resources or his/her delegate. Upon receiving any such
report, such person(s) must in turn report the matter in accordance
with the reporting procedures set forth in the Whistleblower
Policy. Employees, Officers, Directors and Contractors are reminded
of their right to pursue alternative avenues of redress for any
experience of discrimination, harassment or workplace
violence. In the case of discrimination or harassment,
persons may file a complaint with the appropriate human rights
agency. In the case of physical or sexual assault, the police
should be contacted.
Following the receipt of any complaints submitted hereunder, the
Chief Legal Officer or his/her delegate and/or the Chairman of the
Corporate Governance Committee (as the case may be) will evaluate
each matter so reported and will determine whether the matter
should be investigated considering, among other factors, the
identity of the alleged wrongdoer, the nature of the alleged
wrongdoing, the severity of the alleged wrongdoing and the
credibility of the allegation.
Following the completion of an investigation, the Chief Legal
Officer or his/her delegate and/or the Chairman of the Corporate
Governance Committee (as the case may be), in consultation with the
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, may take corrective
disciplinary actions, if appropriate. Corrective disciplinary
actions will range in severity taking in account, among other
things, the nature and severity of the wrongdoing and whether the
offender has previously been found to have been in violation of the
Code. Such corrective disciplinary actions may include, but
are not limited to, a written apology, counseling, reassignment of
employment duties, suspension and termination of employment.
Seniority or status at the Company will not be a relevant factor in
determining the appropriate disciplinary action.
There will be no reprisals against any person for good faith
reporting of compliance concerns or violations. Any Employee,
Officer, Director or Contractor who believes that he or she (or any
other person) is being subjected to retaliation for having made a
report under this Code, should report such retaliation in
accordance with this Code.
The Company will not, without consent, disclose the name of any
person who reports an incident under this Code or the circumstances
relating to any other person, except where disclosure is necessary
for the purposes of a full and fair investigation of the complaint.
The Company recognizes that false or frivolous accusations can have
serious detrimental effects. False accusations are considered
a form of misconduct. If the Company is satisfied that a
false or frivolous accusation has been made, the person making such
false or frivolous accusation may be subject to disciplinary action
up to and including termination of employment.