The foundation of our culture is our Ethos, which shapes how General Dynamics employees act according to our shared values of transparency, trust, alignment and honesty.
Every employee is expected to uphold our high standards. Employees hear this message from their first day on the job and throughout their career with General Dynamics. Not only do we foster an ethical work environment, we work to create an environment where employees feel safe, empowered and equipped to speak up and act with integrity.
Our board and our key financial professionals are required to follow ethics codes specific to their roles, which they commit to annually. These codes have been carefully crafted by leadership to align with our Ethos. With their signature, our chairman, board members and financial leaders promise to manage our business in accordance with the highest standards of ethical conduct.
Tools and Resources
Our commitment to ethics is highly visible, readily available and continually reinforced. We equip our employees with the tools and resources they need to do the right thing.
All new employees are required to acknowledge receipt of, understanding of and compliance with our Ethos and our Standards of Business Ethics and Conduct. Our Code of Conduct establishes our standard that all employees conduct business in accordance with our Ethos, our company policies and applicable law. General Dynamics reinforces these standards through training and other resources.
The General Dynamics Business Ethics Help Line is available in 14 languages and is open 24 hours a day, accessible by phone or the web, and available to employees and other external stakeholders, such as suppliers, customers and community members. Questions or concerns can be raised using the Help Line, anonymously or otherwise.
All reported concerns are investigated promptly and confidentially.
We strictly prohibit retaliation against anyone who raises an ethics or compliance issue in good faith, and we take action against those who are found to have retaliated.
Ethics Oversight
Our expectations to operate with integrity extend to suppliers, contractors and joint-venture partners, all of whom are expected to maintain effective ethics and compliance programs.
Senior leadership regularly reviews the effectiveness of our ethics program and briefs the Audit Committee at least annually. We also support auditing activities to assess the effectiveness of our ethics program and governance controls.
Each business has one senior ethics officer (EO) who has direct access to leadership to discuss trends, opportunities and communication strategies.
Ethical Business Around the World
We provide services and products to governments around the world. The laws and regulations relating to doing business with government customers and public officials are complex. As such,
- We provide our employees with the appropriate resources to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
- We abide by the laws and restrictions regarding the import and export of our products, services, information and technical data, including the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Nearly every country has laws and regulations that control the international movement (e.g., imports, exports, re-exports and technology transfers) of specified product information and services, and we work to remain in compliance with these laws and regulations.
Our robust anti-corruption compliance program is rooted in our Ethos, embodied in our Standards of Business Ethics and Conduct, and tailored to potential risks faced in our business. Designated anti-corruption officers and other compliance professionals at each business unit carry out the program and serve as a resource for employees. Elements of the program include written policies and procedures, annual training, risk-based management and due diligence on third-parties, assessment of conflict of interests or other reputational risks, and reporting. We test the efficacy of our anti-corruption compliance program through regular monitoring and auditing.
To promote and advance ethical cultures in companies that provide products and services to the U.S. government, General Dynamics is a founding member of the Defense Industry Initiative and the International Forum on Business Ethical Conduct, partnering with peers in the aerospace and defense industry to promote best practices and the development of industrywide ethical standards.
Standards of Business Ethics and Conduct
Below, you'll find PDFs of the code of conduct for our Board of Directors and financial professionals, as well as copies of the "Blue Book" in 17 languages.