Symantec Named One of Most Ethical Companies

Symantec Corporation Named One of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 2012

Company recognized for fifth straight year for demonstrated leadership in ethical governance, compliance practices and corporate social responsibility

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – March 19, 2012 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement, and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The complete list of rankings can be found athttp://www.ethisphere.com/wme/.

“Ethics and compliance requires participation by employees at all levels of the organization. At Symantec, we’ve devoted resources and energy to building a strong ethical corporate culture and we continually assess our programs and evaluate what we can and should be doing better,” said Enrique Salem, president and CEO at Symantec. “Receiving this award for the fifth consecutive year is an endorsement that we are doing things right. It sets an expectation for our employees and other stakeholders that we will continue to work on building a culture of ethics and integrity and exercise good business judgment.”

At Symantec, ethics and integrity are the foundation of the company’s business success. The company strives to demonstrate innovation and leadership in corporate governance, compliance, sustainability, and corporate responsibility, with the goal of continuously improving ethics and compliance programs and policies. Learn more about our global corporate responsibility initiatives athttp://www.symantec.com/corporate_responsibility/.

In its sixth year, the World’s Most Ethical Companies list highlights companies exhibiting a strong commitment to ethical leadership and compliance practices. The companies chosen go beyond making statements about doing business “ethically” and translate those words into action, introducing innovative ideas to benefit the public and compelling their competitors to follow suit. They incorporate ethics into business practices and have been able to thrive despite an ever-changing global regulatory environment. Ethisphere reviewed nominations from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries and the methodology includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation, and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; analyzing activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers, and customers.

“Symantec recognizes that a strong ethics program is a key component to a successful business model and over the last five years we have really watched this come to life as they continually scrutinize their ethical standards to keep up with an ever-changing regulatory environment,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute. “Each year the competition for World’s Most Ethical Companies intensifies as the number of nominations submitted for consideration grows. Ethisphere congratulates Symantec on being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2012.”

In addition, Symantec was also recently recognized in Brazil by the Great Place to Work Institute as one of the “Best Companies to Work For,” and also by ComputerWorld magazine as one of the “Top IT and Telecom Companies” in the country.

Waste Mgt. Named to Ethisphere's 2012 World's Most Ethical Companies

Waste Management Named to Ethisphere’s 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies for the Fifth Consecutive Year

Award recognizes exceptional ethical leadership across continents and industries

HOUSTON – March 16, 2012 – Waste Management (NYSE: WM) has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, the leading business ethics think-tank, as one of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical (WME) Companies. This is the fifth year the company has been honored for promoting the highest of ethical standards. Out of a record number of nominations for the award, WM secured a spot on the list by implementing and maintaining business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the company’s success, benefit the community and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry. 

“It is an honor to be recognized by Ethisphere for our strong corporate culture that values ethics, diversity and sustainability,” said David Steiner, chief executive officer and president of WM. “As an industry leader we strive to operate in a way that contributes to the success of our business and the communities we serve. I believe it is our responsibility to make positive change for the environment and for society.” 

This is the sixth year Ethisphere has published the WME rankings. Ethisphere reviewed hundreds of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilizing its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming the companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies list. The 2012 list features companies in more than three dozen industries, including 40 companies headquartered outside the United States. 

The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. 

“A strong ethical foundation is a competitive advantage, and WM recognizes the important role corporate responsibility plays in improving its bottom line,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute. “As more and more organizations strive for this honor each year, WM’s inclusion as a World’s Most Ethical Company for 2012 demonstrates its industry-leading commitment to ethics and dedication to integrity.” 

Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical-companies-rankings/.

About Ethisphere Institute

The research-based Ethisphere^® Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside^® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification™. The Institute’s premier membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance™, is a business ethics forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions that collectively leverage their experience, expertise and innovative ways to address emerging compliance challenges. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found atwww.ethisphere.com. 

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also one of the largest residential recyclers and a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit www.wm.com.

Safer Internet Day

News release from IBM:

IBM Releases Free Internet Security Training Tools to Educate Students, Teachers and Parents on Digital Responsibility

IBMers Volunteer to Teach Students How to Protect their Personal Data in an Online Environment

Tab navigation

• News release
• Related XML feeds

• Contact(s) information

ARMONK, N.Y. - 07 Feb 2012:  IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that in conjunction with Safer Internet Day, (#SID2012) it will release free Internet safety training tools for students and have thousands of volunteers working to help raise awareness and educate students and businesses on Internet safety and digital responsibility.

IBM is unveiling three free volunteer kits to better educate students, parents and teachers on Internet safety:

• Control Your Online Identity  - A volunteer education kit, it is designed to help teenagers learn to protect personal data online and reputation online. Teenagers are typically savvy about how to use the Internet, but often unaware about what happens to personal data once it's shared. This presentation and volunteer information helps students learn how to protect personal data and control how they present themselves online.
• Internet Safety Coaching - Aimed at teachers or adults working with children, this is a general primer on Internet safety providing basic information about common Internet activities by young people including instant messaging and social networking.   This kit is designed to raise awareness of Internet safety and how to have a meaningful and open dialogue with children on this topic.
• Cyberbullying -- Aimed at parents or adults who work with children, this activity helps adults learn about how young people use the Internet today and how to recognize cyberbullying symptoms, how to prevent online bullying from happening and how to intervene if it does happen.

"IBMers are committed to helping educate people on ways to safely and securely use the Internet," said Harriet Pearson, IBM Security Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. "The resources we are donating will help teachers and parents raise awareness that most Internet-based threats to individual and computer security can significantly be reduced by actions that informed users take themselves."

In conjunction with today's announcement, IBM volunteers around the world are educating communities about Internet safety. Some select activities include:

• In Finland, IBM's lead volunteer on Cyberbullying will participate in a national summit at Helsinki City Hall in conjunction with Safer Internet Day. 60 IBM volunteers have already run Cyberbullying workshops for parents in 100 schools across Finland.
• In Germany, IBM will expand its partnership with klicksafe, the national partner of the Insafe network, focusing on the Manage Your Identity Initiative, Already more than 500 IBM, retiree and partner volunteers have delivered over 100 interactive workshops on the topic to more around 3,000 students around the country.
• In Italy, an IBM team will conduct events in local schools using both the IBM materials and afilm from Safer Internet Day to discuss Internet safety and cyberbullying.
• In Romania, IBM volunteers are partnering with NGOs APDETIC and Junior Achievement Romania to deliver an Internet Safety session to students focusing on controlling your online identity and Facebook usage.
• In the United Kingdom, IBM volunteers will use the volunteer kits to promote online safety awareness in schools.  IBMers will partner with non-profit YPNGlobal on their initiative called Cyber Champions. 

Last year IBM employees donated more than three million hours of volunteer service.  The company has donated 34 volunteer kits to help both IBMers as well as community members have meaningful activities and dialogues in the community about various issues.

Since its inception in 2004, Safer Internet Day interest has grown to reach all five continents and almost 80 countries, from Canada to South Korea and Russia to Kenya, including all 27 countries of the European Union. The goal of the day is to help make the Internet a better place for our children and young people.

About IBM

For more information on IBM volunteer and citizenship efforts, please visit www.citizenibm.com

About InsafeInsafe is the European Safer Internet awareness-raising network co-funded by the European Commission. It comprises national contact centres across the European Union and in Iceland, Norway and Russia, with partner organisations around the world. Insafe aims at empowering users to benefit from the positive aspects of internet whilst avoiding the potential risks. Further information is available at www.saferinternet.org or contact info-insafe@eun.org.

About Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is part of a global drive by awareness-raising partners to promote a safer Internet for all users, especially young people. It is organised by INSAFE in the framework of the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme.

Updating Travel Policy

News release from American Express:

The One Business Resolution Companies Can't Afford to Break: Updating Travel PolicyLess Than One Third of Companies Have Updated Their Travel Policies within the Last Year According to New Research from American Express Global Business Travel

NEW YORK, NY,  February 6, 2012 -- 

New research by American Express Global Business Travel outlines gaps and opportunities for companies to strengthen managed travel programs by focusing on their travel and expense policies early this year. Analyzing nearly 100 travel policies of global, multinational, and mid-sized companies, the research shows less than one third of these companies overall have updated their travel policies within the last year. This oversight can leave companies exposed to losing hard-earned corporate negotiated rates, and more importantly, may put travelers at unnecessary risk.

"It's a new year and with any good business practice, corporate travel departments are setting goals, including bringing their programs in line with the competition and external marketplace dynamics," said Christa Degnan Manning, director of EXPERT INSIGHTS research, American Express Global Business Travel. "However, like many improvement resolutions, reviewing and revising travel policy tends to get neglected. Yet a healthy travel policy can help companies achieve long-term success. Policies can support business-critical goals such as risk mitigation and employee engagement, as they touch on issues from traveler safety and security to corporate social responsibility."

This new Best Practice Roadmap report on Travel Policy, produced by EXPERT INSIGHTS, shows many organizations still need to close the gap between their policy content and emerging industry trends.

Highlights of the policy gaps exposed in this report, based on 100 corporate policies reviewed, include:

• Only 12% addressed traveler security despite it being a critical issue for companies to consider as more and more employees embark on worldwide business travel today
• 80% did not address reimbursement of ancillary fees such as checked bags, reservation change fees, or other for-purchase services offered at hotels and car rentals
• Only 35% of smaller companies and large international organizations require an agency to book hotels, compared to 85% of global companies
• None of the travel policies addressed the use of mobile applications or even referenced tools they may have available for travelers to use on the road or when working remotely
• 70% of companies do not provide specific guidelines to travelers on when it makes sense to book airfares through a non-preferred supplier if the ticket price is less expensive

"Policy is the foundation of a successful managed travel program and maintaining this infrastructure by conducting regular check-ups is paramount," said Helen Brough, Advisory Services Global Policy Practice Director, American Express Global Business Travel. "In our policy practice we have identified over 300 areas companies should be reviewing in their policy for the best outcomes – for the company, for the traveling employees, and for ultimate travel management program success. Companies that are most successful are those that regularly review and update their travel policies based on changing market conditions as well as focus on communicating those policies to their travelers."

FILLING THE GAPS

• Security: Companies should provide guidance to their travelers for the range of areas associated with security, such as how to prepare for a trip, what to do during a trip, and after travel, particularly when traveling to high-risk destinations. Guidance around what to do during a travel emergency or disruption should also not go overlooked in policies, as well as information on security around company assets.
   
• Fees: Addressing the various fees that travelers are confronted with while on the road remains a policy opportunity. It should be made easier on travelers in understanding what is reimbursable as well as being made aware of waived fees and other benefits associated with booking with preferred suppliers, such as free checked baggage on airlines or complimentary wi-fi as part of a hotel rate.
   
• Hotel Compliance: Safety and security rank at the top of the list of reasons for traveler compliance to hotel policy. Knowing the city to which a traveler is headed is only half of the equation, particularly when locating travelers in an emergency. This area also poses the greatest area of leakage in travel policy, compromising negotiated rates when booking hotels outside of policy. Companies should communicate to travelers the reasons for booking hotels at the same time as air reservations.
   
• Mobile Technology: There have been advancements in travel technology that can help business travelers manage trip details before, during and after traveling. Company supported mobile applications can be used to facilitate communication, both during critical issues like travel emergencies and for day-to-day support, including policy and traveler benefits notifications. A successful travel policy should include rules for these resources, and help travelers find and take advantage of them to save time and increase compliance.
   
• Addressing Lowest Logical Airfare: Companies increasingly have introduced language instructing employees to find the lowest fare possible, regardless of whether or not a flight is with a preferred supplier. The reality of this practice is that the individual trip savings by booking cheaper fares with non-preferred airlines can jeopardize negotiated rates, unintentionally driving up overall travel costs over time. Guidelines should be established indicating when this practice should be used. Recent capacity constraints, merger and acquisition activity, and even low-cost carrier dynamics require that travel managers revisit this concept and communicate it appropriately in policy.

Tips for Making Policy Connect to Travelers
"As today's global marketplace is constantly changing, and the logistics of capitalizing on growth in emerging markets make travel more complex than ever before, it is not enough to just develop a travel policy and assume that employees know what to do with it," continued Brough. "Companies should be actively leveraging and communicating their travel policy to employees and enlisting influencers within the company such as Human Resources, Security and Legal to support these efforts."

• Make it Accessible: There are many ways a company can address communicating to travelers and encouraging compliance, including using pre-trip tools, policy messages integrated at the point of sale and even prior to booking. Intranets and other portals can also provide a channel to communicate policy to help travelers make the right decisions.
   
• Appeal to the Traveler: If travelers do not understand their travel policy or know where to find it, it is unlikely that it will be adhered to or that travelers will be able to benefit from the perks. Most employees want to do the right thing by the business, so businesses need to let employees know what is in it for the company and for them. That way the traveler can benefit from the perks of following the policy and the company can benefit from travel policy compliance.
   
• Revisit for Relevancy: Establish a policy team with representatives from all stakeholders, including those that can represent the traveler, and charge them with the maintenance of the travel policy. Then communicate changes to travelers so everyone can stay current.
   
• Eliminate Uncertainty: It has been reported that one in four expense reports is typically sent back to the traveler for clarification or additional documentation support. Travel policy should take into consideration the process for expense reimbursement. The better a traveler understands the reimbursement process, the less time will be spent on re-doing these reports.

About American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel, a division of American Express Company, is a global industry leader in business travel and meetings management committed to helping businesses succeed through cost-effective program management, world-class customer service, and enhanced traveler productivity support worldwide. Through leading online, offline and on-the-go solutions, consulting services, business insights and research, supplier negotiation expertise, and meetings and events capabilities, innovative services are delivered to clients to maximize the return on their travel and meetings investments. Learn more at americanexpress.com/businesstravel interact with peers on businesstravelconnexion.com and follow us onfacebook.com/businesstravelconneXion and twitter.com/btconnexion.

American Express operates one of the world's largest travel agency networks with locations in over 140 countries worldwide. Total travel sales volume processed in 2010 was $25.7 billion, including consolidated volume and non-consolidated volume processed through joint ventures and its partner network.

American Express Company is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights, and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.