English

54/70

| The BridgeLine To find BridgeLine information for your location, visit https://www.bridgestone.com/responsibilities/bridgeline/.BRIDGESTONE INTEGRITY IN OUR DAILY WORK LIVESQ: I received an expensive basket of fruit from a supplier as a holiday present. I did not ask for the gift. What should I do?A: Tell your supervisor that the gift was received. Generally, we must return gifts exceeding an acceptable value to the sender. In case of a gift of food, it might be appropriate to share it with others in the work area or give it to a charitable organization.Q: I want to give one of our best customers a special gift to say thanks. Bridgestone has access to tickets to a Firestone sponsored music tour, and giving them to this customer would be in line with our policies. I know she would like the tickets, but I think it is against her company’s policy for her to accept them. If she doesn’t care about the policy, can I give her the tickets?A: If you aren’t sure whether the customer’s policy allows the gift, ask her whether she is permitted to receive it. If she says no, or you otherwise know giving a gift will violate her company’s policy, you may not give the gift. Just as we want others to respect our standards, we must respect theirs.54Q: I am dating a coworker who is being considered for a leadership position for the group I am in. Do we have to bring this to the attention of our supervisor?A: Yes. This situation could create a conflict of interest in your group. Even if you and your coworker are currently equals in the same group, you should advise your supervisor of the relationship so that your supervisor can prevent an inappropriate reporting relationship.Q: My coworker’s son has just been hired for a job in our department. Does this represent a conflict of interest?A: A conflict of interest would clearly exist if his parent is directly supervising him. However, we do have cases where relatives work in the same department. When this occurs, raises and job performance evaluations must be handled by an independent person. These decisions should be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure objectivity and fairness for all.Q: I do contract work for a company that has business dealings with Bridgestone. In my job at Bridgestone, I also have contact with that company from time to time. Is this a problem?A: Quite possibly. These circumstances must be brought to the attention of your supervisor. It is important that all actual or potential conflicts be disclosed so that any issues can be anticipated and avoided.Gifts and EntertainmentConflicts of InterestQ & A