Our company provides access to many assets, both tangible and intangible. Such assets should be used only for company purposes. However, our company recognizes that occasions arise where you may need to contact a family member or other person while at work. Therefore, reasonable personal use of our company’s electronic communications systems is permitted.

Such use must not:

• Interfere with company business
• Relate to a personal business venture
• Otherwise violate this policy or any other policy of the company

Any personal use of the company’s electronic communications systems and resources must be “incidental” as defined in the electronic communications policy.

Timken’s proprietary and confidential information is one of our company’s most important assets. “Proprietary and confidential information” generally includes non-public information that, if revealed, might benefit our competitors. Examples include specific technical, design or process data; pricing information; business plans; acquisition or teaming plans; project practices; customers and supplier lists. We share the responsibility of keeping such information secure at all times.

The Timken trademark and other company-owned trademarks and brand identifiers may only be used in compliance with Timken’s branding policy.

Q: Jillian and Marc work together at Timken, and are also friends on Facebook. The two will occasionally comment to one another about a stressful workday, but most conversation is personal in nature. However, Marc notices one evening that Jillian has posted an update about an in-progress contract. She wrote, “On the verge of closing the deal of a lifetime!” and included the potential customer’s name. Marc doesn’t think this is okay, but doesn’t want to tell Jillian how to act in her personal life. Should Marc stay out of this?

 

A: No. While Jillian can speak freely in her personal life, she has a duty to Timken – and her fellow associates and customers – to maintain the confidentiality of information she receives as part of her job. By sharing this information in a public place, Jillian puts herself and Timken at risk. If anyone were to trade on such information, she and Timken could be held liable for insider trading. Marc should encourage Jillian to remove these details from her profile, and let her supervisor or manager know.