The Crude Life Code of Business Conduct
The Crude Life is committed to conducting its business fairly, honestly and in accordance with law. Our Code is not meant to be all inclusive, and in many cases, The Crude Life Content News Correspondents will be required to sign additional acknowledgement forms that they have read and understand various Company policies.
#EthicsAtWork
The Crude Life has a Zero Tolerance policy on many areas of ethics and professional behavior. In the world of media, news reporting, journalism and event engagement there’s many opportunities for abuse of power and privilege. Every one of The Crude Life’s Content News Correspondents, Podcasters and Environmental Energy Ambassadors agree to adhere to a set of principals and values which help define a modern day professional media organization with an ethical core, an authentic curiosity and a respect for the truth and other’s journey.
The Crude Life is not directly or indirectly engaged in coordinating news coverage with any political organizations, issues committees or candidates.
Nor does The Crude Life intend to support or oppose specific bills pending before the Legislature, ballot measures, candidates or a political agenda.
None of our Content News Correspondents are paid lobbyists or a paid staff worker for a political candidate, political committee or issue committee.
The Crude Life produces daily, weekly and monthly news content for radio stations, magazines, podcast platforms and social media sites for the purpose of daily dissemination of original news content and opinions of interest within the world of energy and environment.
The Crude Life is a private company and generates revenue by annual sponsorships and subscriptions. The Crude Life does not sell interviews for it’s news programs or editorial content. All sponsors, subscribers and donors understand The Crude Life’s mission is to report factual news impacting the energy industry and engage in ethical events.
Furthermore, The Crude Life produces annual programming schedules and editorial content calendar to help assist organizations with awareness and educational opportunities.
Content News Correspondents are not engaged in any lobbying or advocacy, advertising, publicity or promotion work for any individual, political party or movement, corporation, organization, or agency of the government. If there is a conflict of interest, it will be accessed on a case-by-case basis and disclosed with the interview.
Several examples of a Conflict of Interest is that The Crude Life Content News Correspondents should not engage in any activities, have any personal or financial interests, or have any other relationships which conflict or appear to conflict with professional ethics or which might impair their exercise of independent judgment. It is not possible to describe in this Code all those situations that might create conflicts of interest, therefore we will access on a case-by-case basis.
The protection of confidential business information and trade secrets is vital to the interests and success of The Crude Life’s listeners, readers, subscribers and followers. All The Crude Life Content News Correspondents should maintain the confidentiality of information entrusted to them, except when disclosure is duly authorized by appropriate officers of the Company or is legally mandated. The Crude Life who improperly use or disclose trade secrets or confidential business information will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, and possibly legal action, regardless of whether they actually benefit from the disclosure.
The Crude Life has a Zero Tolerance Policy Against Insider Trading. The term “insider trading” refers to the practice of trading in securities while in possession of material non-public information, a practice which is prohibited under federal law. Anyone using The Crude Life for access to professionals trading while in possession of material information which he or she has reason to believe is not publicly available is acting contrary to Company policy and may be held liable for insider trading. Directly or indirectly “tipping” this information to another person who trades is also a violation of this policy. Information will be deemed “material” if it would be likely to influence a reasonable investor’s decision to buy, sell or hold securities. Any information about the advances, set-backs or over-all business plan of The Crude Life or its business partners should be considered material. “Non-public” information includes any information that has not been made available to the public through a press release or a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Crude Life Content News Correspondents with information about The Crude Life or its business partners should consider the information “non-public” until the second full trading day following the wide-spread disclosure of that information.
The Crude Life may not Give Money or any gift to any official or employee of any governmental or quasi-governmental organization if doing so could reasonably be construed as having any connection with the Company’s business. In addition, U.S. law and Company policy prohibit the offering or acceptance of “Kickbacks,” that is, anything of value offered or accepted for the purpose of obtaining favorable business treatment. What is acceptable practice in the commercial business environment, described below, may be entirely unacceptable, and may even violate certain federal, state, local or international laws and regulations, in dealings with government employees or those who act on a government’s behalf. Therefore, although the Company generally does not do business with governmental agencies, in those circumstances where The Crude Life Content News Correspondents are dealing with federal or regional governments and/or quasi-governmental organizations including any lobbying efforts, The Crude Life Content News Correspondents must be aware of and adhere to all relevant laws and regulations.
As a general guideline, The Crude Life Content News Correspondents should not try to improperly influence the decisions of, or obtain restricted information from, government officials or those who act on a government’s behalf.
Similarly, in dealing with our non-governmental and non-quasigovernmental customers and suppliers, The Crude Life Content News Correspondent does not seek to gain any unfair advantage through the improper use of business courtesies or other inducements. Good judgment and moderation must be exercised to avoid misinterpretation and adverse effect on the reputation of the Company.
In the course of conducting business on the Company’s behalf, The Crude Life Content News Correspondents shall not make any false or misleading statement that the The Crude Life Content News Correspondents knows to be false or misleading or that with reasonable diligence the The Crude Life Content News Correspondents should have known to be false or misleading. If a The Crude Life Content News Correspondents finds that any statement made was unintentionally false or misleading or if a The Crude Life Content News Correspondents believes any misunderstanding has occurred, he or she should promptly correct any such statement or misunderstanding. The resulting trustworthiness is essential to good business relationships.
The Crude Life Content News Correspondents should endeavor to protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use. All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes and should never be used for personal gain. The use of Company funds or assets for any unlawful or unethical purpose is prohibited.
It is also the policy of The Crude Life to provide Equal Employment Opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin, disability or status as a Vietnam -era or special disabled veteran in accordance with applicable Federal law.
In addition, The Crude Life complies with applicable state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment in each locality in which it maintains offices or facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leave of absence, compensation and training. The Crude Life is committed to maintaining a work environment that furthers the development of all its employees, encourages cooperation and teamwork, provides a pleasant work environment and provides fair and ethical treatment of all employment issues.
As part of this commitment, The Crude Life is dedicated to providing a work environment that is free from harassment, whether that harassment is premised on sex, race, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin or any other legally protected basis. Harassment creates working conditions that are wholly inconsistent with The Crude Life’s commitment to its personnel.
#thecrudelife promotes a culture of inclusion and respect through interviews, content creation, live events and partnerships that educate, enrich, and empower people to create a positive social environment for all, regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or physical or intellectual ability.
In an effort to further explain what is expected of The Crude Life Content News Correspondents, we have provided below a summary of behaviors that are not permitted at The Crude Life. While it is not possible for us to list all forms of behavior that are considered unacceptable in the workplace, here is a partial list of examples of infractions of rules of conduct that may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination:
- Theft or inappropriate use, removal, possession, or misuse of Company or others’ property;
- Unauthorized use of Company identification cards, discounts, credit cards or computer passwords, or permitting their use by unauthorized users;
- Tampering with, or falsifying, an employee’s own or another employee’s time records or expense reimbursement documentation;
- Attempting to enter or assisting any person in entering the facility or restricted areas without proper authorization;
- Possession of dangerous or unauthorized materials in the workplace (i.e. explosives or firearms);
- Fighting or threatening violence in the workplace;
- Insubordination or other disrespectful conduct;
- Excessive absenteeism, tardiness, or any absences without proper notice;
- Falsification of records, including pre-employment records;
- Unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential business information;
- Unauthorized solicitation on Company premises;
- Spreading malicious gossip or making false accusations regarding fellow employees or the Company or which in any way hinder its operation; and
- Offering or accepting bribes.
