Ethics & Compliance
Yum! Brands' success is built on the integrity and high ethical standards of our associates. Our ethics and compliance program, based on our Worldwide Code of Conduct, demands the highest ethical standards in all of our operations around the globe.
Worldwide Code of Conduct
Yum!'s Worldwide Code of Conduct, adopted in 1997, is more than a document - it is the foundation for the way we conduct ourselves and do business throughout the world. It calls for the highest standards of ethical behavior from our Board members and one million-plus associates, and covers a variety of critical issues, including:
- Product Quality and Food Safety
- Relationship with Franchisees
- Employee Relations
- Relationships with Customers, Suppliers and Competitors
- Diversity
- Gifts and Entertainment
- Safety and Environmental Protection
- Political and Community Activities and Contributions
- Substance Abuse
- Conflicts of Interest
- Bribery and Corruption
- Insider Trading and Proprietary Information
- Accounts, Record Keeping and Disclosure of Financial Information
The Code is published in English, Spanish, Chinese, German, and Korean. It can be found at www.yum.com/governance/conduct.asp.
To help ensure compliance, we have developed a comprehensive program based on continuing compliance training for above-restaurant employees.
Our Board of Directors and our most senior Company associates are also required to complete a conflict of interest questionnaire annually and certify in writing that they have read and understand the Code of Conduct.
We also know that, in any organization, raising an ethics concern - especially about a superior - can be difficult. So we have set up a system for associates to raise concerns through a safe, anonymous process. Using independent third parties, The Network, Inc., Deloitte Consulting, LLP and Employee Relations Strategies, Inc., we have opened local ethics hotlines in the U.S. and 19 countries that comprise our major markets. Our associates can use these hotlines 24 hours-a-day to anonymously raise a concern about possible Code violations or other ethical conflicts not covered by the Code. After a call, the independent third party relays the information to our management to investigate the concern.
The Audit Committee of our Board has established additional procedures for complaints and concerns of associates regarding accounting and auditing matters, including the confidential or anonymous submission of such complaints or concerns. More details on these procedures can be found at www.yum.com/governance/complaint.asp.
We also maintain a Supplier Code of Conduct to hold all suppliers to our high standards. To learn more about our Supplier Code of Conduct, click here.
