Tim Cook Urges Staff To Check Apple's Business Conduct Policy In New Video

by Joe White

November 21, 2013

Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has appeared in a brand new employee video, in which he urges staff to familiarize themselves with Apple's Business Conduct Policy. The original video is no longer available to view online, but news of the video, as well as its content, reached us in an article from 9to5mac. Besides Cook's appearance in the included media, Apple senior vice president and General Counsel Bruce Sewell includes advice for employees concerning the policy in an accompanying email. Cook's comments, however, are a little more interesting. He explains:

As Dr. Martin Luther King once said, the time is always right to do what's right. At Apple, we do the right thing. Even when it's not easy. If you see something that doesn't meet our standards, speak up. Whether it's a quality issue or a business practice, if it affects Apple's integrity, we need to know about it.

The email includes an iBooks version of Apple's Business Conduct Policy, allowing employees to read the document on an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. Sewell's entire email is included below. It's not presently known whether a recent problem has prompted Apple to publish this refresher, but as a number of reports have noted, the Cupertino, Calif. company is no stranger to product leaks. The iPhone 4 reached bloggers long before it launched in Apple Retail Stores, providing customers with an insight into Apple's product before the announcement was officially made. This year, too, news of both an iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c circulated online during the months ahead of Apple's September event. We'll keep you updated with further information as we receive it. Here's the aforementioned email, in full:

Apple Team, I am writing to ask you to do something very important — set aside a little time to review Apple’s Business Conduct Policy. It explains in very clear terms how you are expected to conduct yourself with our customers, business partners, government agencies, and fellow employees. We expect every Apple employee to understand and comply with these rules. The Policy is based on Apple’s core values of honesty, respect, confidentiality, and the critical obligation of every Apple employee to adhere to legal principles, like antitrust and anti-corruption laws. Living by it is how we earn the trust of our customers and partners and how we keep Apple a great place to work. The Business Conduct group has developed a new version of the Policy in iBooks format. The book is convenient and engaging with galleries, video, audio and multi-touch widgets all designed to help you learn about Apple’s principles of business conduct. You can download the new book via Switchboard, or access a web-version here. If you have questions, or information about conduct you think may violate the Policy, don’t be afraid to speak up. Talk to your manager, your HR representative, or contact the Business Conduct Helpline — which can be done anonymously. Thank you in advance for treating this seriously and taking responsibility for demonstrating high integrity in every aspect of Apple’s business. Bruce Sewell SVP and General Counsel

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