2.1 Integrity
A. The employees must maintain an honest and moral behavior
in their work.
B. The employees must follow the moral code and values in every activity and in any correspondence in which they represent the company.
C. The company encourages its employees to report on activities, which do not correspond with the moral code and integrity.
D. In case of a potential violation of integrity, the company may demand conducting either an internal or external interrogation, according to circumstances.
2.2 Benefits
A. The company prohibits any receiving, excluded from the company itself, of benefits by its employees from any element, if it is provided as a reward on their work, related to their position in the company or may influence their work.
B. An employee that received such a benefit must return it to the element that gave it to him, along with an explanation letter presenting the company’s prohibition. The employee will forward a copy of the letter to the person in charge of the business culture in the company.
C. If returning the benefit might damage the company’s business status, the employee must inform this to the person in charge and follow his instructions.
D. It is strictly prohibited for a person in charge to receive benefits from his subordinates, both directly and indirectly.
E. The company will make sure that employees who might benefit from a certain transaction or have personal interests related to it will not be involved in it.
2.3 Conflict of Interests and Additional Business Connections
A. The employees must refrain from executing any activities, investments or other business relations, with out clear written confirmation from the Company.
B. The company forbids on the employee to hold any private business activity with clients, suppliers or competitors, if it might lead to a conflict of interests between this activity and the employee’s work in the company.
C. Should there be a doubt regarding a conflict of interests, the employee must turn to the person in charge and to the Human Resources Manager for instructions.
D. The company forbids on the employee to hold any private business connections (such as purchasing products / services) beyond work requirements, with an element with whom he is in business relations, unless specifically approved by an authorized element in the company. The approved business connection would be held according to a price determined in advance based on the accepted rates.
E. The company prohibits any business connection between a manager and his subordinates outside work hours, in order to prevent inappropriate work relations.
2.4 Gifts
A. The company prohibits any granting of presents, which might seem as an attempt to receive better treatment or to change a decision.
B. The company is aware of the fact that personal relations may be developed between its employees and between employees and elements outside the company with whom they hold business relations. However, the company shall ensure that no conflict of interests or granting of benefits will take place in such relations.
C. Following are the gifts permitted for employees’ acceptance without fear of damaging their integrity:
1. Advertising accessories with token value marked with the company’s logo.
2. A present for a family event of the employee or his family members granted by a person invited for the event, be it a colleague or elements holding business relations with the employee.
3. A public reward granted to the employee openly, even if rewarded on the employee’s work.
Any other gift or a proposal for a gift must be reported to the
person in charge of the business culture.
2.5 Internal information
A. Employees shall not use information they obtained as result of their work for their personal benefit, including information regarding foreign elements.
B. The company prohibits on its employees to transfer information which is not public and that was obtained by the employee as part of his work.
C. In case a senior employee holds, invests or controls the stocks of elements related to the company – a competitor, supplier or client – if this might affect his work at Netafim, the employee must inform his supervisor. In case the employee’s work might be damaged as a result of the stocks he holds, he must sell them.
3. Marketing, Sales and Customer.
Netafim considers its customers to be its main asset, and takes every necessary step for their satisfaction, both by providing high quality and reliable products and services and by strictly following decency and integrity rules in its connection with the clients.
Following are the company’s obligating rules:
3.1 Transactions
Netafim is extremely involved in the crops for which its products and systems are used. The company shall not carry out transactions related to prohibited crops, such as narcotics.
3.2 Information and advertising material
Netafim provides information regarding the company to potential clients, for the purpose of presenting its activity fields, the types of products and services it provides and its technological and managerial abilities. The information is edited as various advertising materials (brochures, leaflets,
presentations and other digital medias), which are part of the marketing activity. Following are the guidelines in editing the materials:
A. Maintaining accuracy, reliability and decency in editing the materials, in accordance with the company policy and subject to the marketing manager’s approval.
B. Only approved for publication information would be quoted (professional data gathered in Netafim by the R&D or the agricultural department would be limited to internal use only).
C. Comparisons between Netafim and its competitors would only be published if the information regarding the competitors was based on official sources: official publications of the competitors or experiments that were conducted by an authorized research institution.
3.3 Tenders
Tenders are an essential part of Netafim’s efforts to get to new clients and to increase its activity with its existing clients. Netafim strictly follows the obligating rules and principles in its tenders:
A. Strictly following the norms and rules obligating in the tender’s country as well as the universal norms regarding tenders.
B. The company’s employees who deal with the tender must be familiar with the related norms and rules: the universal rules regarding tenders, the tender’s country’s laws as well as the unique rules determined for the specific tender. The company shall make sure the employees are properly instructed and that they obtain the required information.
C. Questions regarding the tenders shall be discussed in the relevant forums in the company, subject to the CEO’s approval.
D. Netafim expects to win tenders based on its abilities and advantages alone, and not as result of irrelevant factors or attempts to influence the results.
3.4 Price Quotes
Pricing Netafim’s products and services is conducted based on unified cost-profit calculations, in attempt to achieve maximum increase in both sales and profitability. The price quotes would be prepared according to the following rules and principles:
A. The marketing elements in charge of the pricing and price quotes would examine the following matters as early in the process as possible:
- The company’s ability to fulfill all the work’s requirements: product’s quality and reliability, required approvals and authorizations, schedules and supply dates as well as any other requirement of the client.
- Adaptation of the transaction to the requirements and procedures of Netafim regarding payment and credit terms.
- The guarantees required by the client.
- Limitations on the connection with the client, both set by Netafim and by other elements.
- Required licenses for carrying out the transaction.
- In case of barter: receiving the approval of the authorized elements in the company.
B. Only an authorized element in the company will sign the price quote, according to the matter and to the relevant sums.
C. The company shall conduct trainings on this matter for all the elements dealing with the preparation of price quotes.
3.5 Negotiations
The negotiations stage is critical in the transaction completion process, in which attempts are made to achieve optimal terms for the transaction. Conducting the negotiations with the clients is under the responsibility of the marketing elements who submitted the price quote, in cooperation with other
relevant elements in the company: the project’s development manager, finance elements, legal advisor Etc. Seeing that he is responsible for the negotiations, the marketing element shall follow the following rules and principles:
A. The marketing element will receive in advance authorizations and instructions for the negotiations from the authorized signers in the company.
B. The marketing element will not make any promises, both in writing and orally, for additions and improvements, which were not defined in the price quote or in the contract.
C. Any additions or improvements requested by the clients would be forwarded by the marketing element to the CEO for his approval.
3.6 Contract formation and signing
Signing the contract marks the official beginning of the transaction. The formation of the contract and its signature would be conducted according to the following rules and principles:
A. Complete honesty during the formation of the contract and confirmation that the company can fulfill the contract.
B. The final version of the contract would be prepared by Netafim’s legal department, specifying fully and accurately all the technical, financial and legal terms, e.g. the product’s technological specification, the required acceptance checks, form of delivery as well as its location and date, dates of payment, terms of transferring the payments, warranty terms Etc.
C. Signing the contracts, including all its paragraphs and content, would be conducted only by the elements authorized to do so in the company or their power of attorney, according to the company’s procedures.
D. The company will see to it that all elements involved in preparing contracts in the company would be properly trained to do so.
3.7 Customer Service
Netafim considers the customer service to be part of its commitment to the client. The customer service is designated for ensuring proper operation and maintenance of the products during their planned period of operation. A reliable and professional customer service contributes to improving the client’s satisfaction and maintaining his loyalty, as well as to improving the company’s reputation and strengthening its image. The customer service will follow the following rules and principles:
A. Planning the customer service would be conducted in advance and would be calculated in the pricing process and resources allocation for the transaction.
B. The terms of the service would be determined in the contract between the company and the client and would be implemented according to the terms specified in the contract.
C. The service would continue to be provided to the client after the product was accepted by the him, according to the terms specified in the contract.
D. Any treatment, change or use of the product during or following its delivery to the client, or any use of the stock or in the client’s property which was not specified in writing in agreements, would only be conducted subject to full coordination with the client as well as his approval.
E. The customer service would be managed by professional workers trained for that purpose by the company. The marketing and sales manager will be in charge of the customer service and on the clients’ satisfaction by it.
F. The company will monitor the product’s delivery to the client as well as its operation and maintenance, by means of feedback meeting with the client.
3.8 Connections with customers and suppliers abroad
Being a company which most of its activity is conducted abroad, Netafim strictly follows all laws, rules and terms of the international commerce community as well as those of every country. Netafim carries out its activity abroad according to the following rules and principles:
A. Following the laws and rules of the country, including the obligating national and international commerce rules in the country.
B. Proper behavior of the company’s workers in all of their trips, while strictly following the country’s law and refraining from taking any action which might be interpreted as offensive towards local values, religion or culture, as well as ones which might damage the interests of the state of Israel and/or Netafim.
C. Employees who work in the company’s representations abroad will take tests in order to ensure that they are personally and professionally competent to function in this position, examining their integrity, honesty and reliability. The company will see to it that its employees would be instructed regarding the proper social and cultural behavior in the relevant country.
D. When dealing with a public authority abroad, employees must strictly follow the rules, regulations and procedures determined by that authority. The employee who is holding the commercial connection with the authority must be familiar with all of the country’s rules and regulations, as well as those of the authority and Netafim regarding activity with authorities abroad and the required authorizations.
E. Purchase of goods and services abroad by Netafim would be conducted according to the company’s procedure.
F. The hosting of foreign clients and suppliers in Israel will include events such as a special meal, lectures and professional tours.
G. The managers of the company dealing with marketing and sales will go through professional training, including simulations of common situations in the marketing and sales processes.
H. As part of the training of the marketing elements, the company shall set rules for proper behavior during business meetings designated for tightening and strengthening the connection. The company shall monitor these meetings in order to prevent any improper behavior. In addition, the company will state clear regulations regarding business meetings, hosting and mutual visits.
4. Company’s policy regarding communication with suppliers
As part of its policy to provide uncompromisingly qualitative products and services, Netafim puts its emphasis on the high quality of the materials, stock, work and services it purchases for its activity. The company considers the supplier to be committed to the promotion of Netafim’s interests and to its success. The selection of a supplier is based on quality, cost, reliability and service factors, and in accordance with the company’s procedures. The company will follow the following rules and principles in its connections with suppliers:
A. The supplier would be selected either following a tender or by examining a number of proposals, all according to company's policies, from time to time. A decision on a “sole supplier" would be reached according to these policies as well.
B. The selection of the supplier by the company would be conducted in a fair process while calculating the following factors:
- The quality and reliability of the product, work or service.
- The efforts Netafim would have to make in order to adapt the supplier to the expected standards.
- The supplier’s business strength and his ability to fulfill his obligations including schedules and prices.
- Licenses, approvals and authorizations in the relevant field.
- Reputation, experience, recommendations and past connections.
C. The company’s employee must specify to the supplier his expectations of him, including specifications of the product or service, extent, content, quality and schedules.
5. Competitors
Competition is an inseparable of Netafim’s business activity, and is therefore used by it to leverage its improvement processes and the development of its advantages. Netafim treats its competitors with fairness and dignity, since it believes that the right way to business success is by emphasizing on its own advantages rather than on the disadvantages of its competitors. Netafim shall follow the following principles and rules in its relations with its competitors:
A. The company’s employees, suppliers or representatives will not attempt to illegally achieve information regarding the competitors, including technical information on the product, its price, the negotiation management or any other information, which might give a business advantage to Netafim in comparison with its competitors.
B. Undisclosed contacts with competitors are prohibited, since they might result in misleading the clients.
C. The company encourages cooperation in environmental issues for the benefit of individuals and society.
6. Assets
Netafim’s intellectual and material assets were accumulated for many years and are its financial infrastructure and strength. The company’s assets are designated for the use of the company and its employees for the purpose of promoting company’s interests. Attempts to financially or personally benefit from these assets or using them for an activity, which is irrelevant to work, are harmful to the company. Following are the limitations and rules regarding the proper use of the company’s various assets:
6.1 Permanent equipment and property
A. A permanent item of the company would be documented as such in the company’s records.
B. The company’s employees will use the company’s property properly.
C. Taking equipment, property or any goods outside the company will be carried out according to the relevant company procedures, subject to the authorized elements’ approval.
D. The employee must report to his supervisors regarding any change of the property’s condition, including its location, damage or loss. Handling those situations would be conducted according to the company’s procedures.
6.2 Computer systems
A. The employee’s use of the computer systems would be for serving the company’s interests only.
B. The employee shall use the computer systems properly and professionally, in order to prevent any damage to valuable equipment.
C. Purchase of computer systems, hardware and software would be subjected to the IT Division’s approval and according to company procedures.
D. The use of the software would be according to the purchase terms.
E. Software, which was not approved by the authorized elements, is forbidden to use.
F. Use of software, which was not legally purchased or received, is forbidden.
G. Employees shall use the Internet for promoting the company’s interests only, while following information security principles and preventing any damage to the company’s image or business connections.
H. The company shall follow the following information security principles in order to protect its confidentiality and prevent its loss:
- Classified information will be saved according to the relevant company’s procedure.
- An extensive information security array.
- Following information backup procedures.
- Training the employees to awareness and alertness regarding computers and information security.
6.3 Intellectual Assets
Netafim’s intellectual assets consist of the knowledge and information which was accumulated in each of its fields of activity, both professional and managerial, including patents, exclusive developments and unique work methods. Parts of these assets are patent protected in Israel and abroad. The company established monitoring and control procedures in order to limit the use of its intellectual assets, which are specified below:
A. The company’s employees shall properly protect its information and refrain from forwarding unauthorized information to other elements. Forward of information to elements outside the company would be carried out under the company’s supervision and according to its procedures.
B. The company operates several means of hardware and software protection, in order to prevent from it to spread to unauthorized elements in the company and outside it.
C. The employee shall follow the company’s instructions when using the various communication and connection systems, in order to prevent its leak to unauthorized elements.
6.4 Clients’ and suppliers’ assets
Netafim handles the intellectual assets of other company according to the same procedures applied on its own assets. The company confirms that these assets are used responsively, while protecting their owners’ rights and following the predefined terms of use.
7. Netafim’s work environment
Netafim wishes to provide its employees with a positive and welcoming environment, based on consideration of the employees’ feelings and following accepted politeness and appearance codes. Following are the rules and principles to be followed in Netafim’s work environment:
7.1 Employing terms
In order to ensure that its employees are of the highest level and fulfill their personal and professional potential, Netafim follows the following employing policy:
A. The employees are nominated by publishing open tenders, based on their qualifications and experience.
B. The company operates systems for the purpose of protecting the rights of its employees.
C. The company allows re-positioning of its employees according to the company’s needs as well as the employees’ preferences.
D. Promotion of an employee is decided by his supervisors, according to the company’s policy and requirements.
E. The company emphasizes on training and instructions for its employees in the various management levels.
7.2 Presence at work
The employees’ presence at work is the basis of salary payment as well as of conducting work costs’ calculations.
The employee is responsible for reporting his presence, subject to his supervisor’s approval at the end of each month.
The report is carried out by a computer system.
7.3 Safety at work
Netafim is concerned with its employees’ safety and health, and therefore provides a safe work environment which is arranged according to the following safety and hygiene procedures:
A. The company makes sure that the employee will be familiar with the safety procedures relevant to his work by training, memorizing procedures and instructions, spreading information as well as organized monitoring and control.
B. Each employee must follow the safety procedures.
