Accenture Code of Business Ethics

One visible aspect of our Ethics & Compliance program is our Code of Business Ethics, with which all our employees must comply. Currently available in 16 languages, the code emphasizes critical areas particular to our organization and business model, and highlights aspects of conduct that are imperative for all employees.

We rely on our people to live our Code and core values every day, in every interaction with each other, our clients and our other stakeholders. To further ensure its ongoing relevance to our business and our people, in 2010 we enhanced the Code with a set of 58 "action statements," which describe a broad spectrum of behaviors expected of our people. Additionally, we help our employees improve their decision-making through guidance from leadership, our Ethical Fitness® Decision-making Model and a variety of other tools.

To support the new version of our Code of Business Ethics, in 2011 we launched a refreshed, dynamic Code of Business Ethics website, which provides access to a vast set of resources, including scenarios depicting ethical dilemmas, policy information, FAQs for each action statement, training, key terms, subject matter experts, collaboration tools and much more.

The Accenture Portal brings our core values alive through the eyes of Accenture employees.

• Client Value Creation
  
  "Client Value Creation feels good—when they win, we win."
  -Monique, a senior manager in our Technology group, on her unwavering commitment to client trust and the advancement of the health care industry

• Integrity
  
  "It is critical…to keep our clients happy and dutifully manage the bottom line. I believe we cannot get there without treating our employees respectfully, fairly and honestly—and that's where our core values come in."
  -Craig, a deputy program manager and communications lead for accounts

• Stewardship
  
  "I've always viewed Stewardship as my commitment as a member of the Accenture community to embody the core values and ideals set forth by the company—in my attitude, my actions and interactions every day."
  -Jonathan, a manager in our Technology group

To provide our people with a solid foundation in our Code, we require all employees to complete a minimum of one to three hours of Ethics & Compliance training annually, based on their function, location and level. In fiscal 2011, Accenture people completed more than 370,000 hours of Ethics & Compliance training, covering a wide range of topics, including personal responsibility, data privacy, information security, competition and antibribery.